Why the new Batgirl and Impulse should be together
by kirbyclause
Summary: Yin meets Yang when the two most promising non JLA heroes fall for each other.
1. Noticing

Disclaimer:All of this belongs to DC Comics, hence Warner Bros., hence AOL  
Time Warner.  
  
Characters: The Batclan as far as I'm concerned is the Batman (Bruce  
Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), the Oracle (Barbara   
Gordon), the new Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), some Nightwing (Dick Grayson) on   
the side.  
  
The Gotham Police are Commish James Gordon, Det. Montoya and Bullock.  
  
The Flashes are Barry Allen, Wally West. Max Mercury is the guardian of   
course Impulse (Bartholomew Allen).  
  
Young Justice is Robin ("Al Draper"), Super Boy (Kon-El), Wonder Girl (Cassie  
Sandmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Impulse (Bart Allen), and the   
Secret and the Red Tornado.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
Gotham. Skyscraper. Night. This defines her, now. This defines her now. She  
jumps. Free fall rules take over. The cape...the cape seems like her only  
friend. Plenty of family now. Freinds on the other hand...  
  
The wind rushes past her. Not just the down fall-actual wind from the street  
below. She reaches out in all ways at once. The line wrappping around the  
head of a perplexed gargoyle. The balance her body seeks. Her sences guide  
her 'flight'.  
  
*****  
  
The Impulse blurred through yet another alley. "The Impulse". That's cool.   
Like "The Batman". I'm gonna use it in this city. So like, the Impluse   
blurred around town, right? There was a hot tip, from Fite 'n' Madd even. It  
was probably just to keep them from doing anything important, just like them,  
always trying to keep them kooped up, he'd been getting responsible-  
  
Oh yeah. Gotta find Robin before the Impulse trips on this foot. Foot?  
  
*****  
  
She blends into the shadows so well, she feels as if she would lose herself  
in them. But she isn't the darkness anymore. She fights the dark with the   
dark. The fire with the fire.  
  
Just as the wind whips by her, her ankle collides with another. The boy in  
white and red and lightning is up before he's down. The scrapes on his face  
from eating pavement are even healing at what can only be super speed.  
  
A high pitch whine comes from the teen as his arms, legs, even his hair dance  
in agitation. "Oh, I'm sorry.", he says in a normal voice. "I forgot to slow  
down."  
  
"It is...okay?", she says, concentrating on getting her first spoken language  
right. "Saw your poem."  
  
"What peom?", he asks. He stands still for the first time, yellow goggles   
wrapped under a questioning brow, big hair tilted to one side.  
  
"About the invincible child on his path of petty crime. Your movements are...  
lovely.", she informs him.  
  
Then he slaps himself on the forehead. "You're not Robin."   
  
Her cape reaches out of the shadows first, as if testing the air. They clear  
the way for her as she steps out. A taut, taught female body headed by a  
mask that implies death emerges. "No, not. You can call me The Batgirl."  
  
*****  
  
See what I mean. Everyone was Gotham is a "The". This chick was beautiful and  
she was still completely hidden, even when you were looking straight at her.  
But she's still a bat, right?   
  
"Look, I'm trying to find Robin. I got to tell him about this.", Impulse   
said.  
  
"You can tell me.", she stated in a calm...no tranquil...no like stiller than  
that even voice. And it just came pouring out of Impulse. There was a kid  
who just happened to be metahuman by all accounts. Something happenned where  
he was plain indestructable. One time he through a temper tantrum and ten  
security guards of the mall couldn't move him until his mother agreed to get  
a particular toy. A school yard bully broke his arm punching him in an eye  
lash. Let alone the time he crushed the bus that ran into him.  
  
Now the kid grew into his teens and is one that thought shop-lifting for the  
thrill is coming of age. And Young Ju...er, The Young Justice must deliver  
the...dang, "young"..."justice". And now this chick probably thought that  
Impulse was dumb.  
  
*****  
  
He is so energetic. She is completely taken aback by him. He is everything  
that she wishes she could be. Energetic. Honest. Innocent. Young. Young at  
heart. A kid. Bright-emotionally, costume...how much brain power does it take  
to move at his speed? And the speed.  
  
"Will inform you if he is dangerous. If fail.", she tells him.  
  
"How?", he asks. Then he snaps his fingers and fades for a fraction of a   
second. "You can use one of these!", he says. "I need to start carrying these  
rings on me, I had to go back to our cave for this."  
  
He runs to their cave and back. So powerful.  
  
"Just push the stone and my ring will light up. I'll come running."  
  
"How will you know where?", she asks.  
  
"I'll just scour the city. It might take a second or two but I'll find you."  
  
Wow.  
  
*****  
  
The news played loudly on the TV. Max was always trying to get Bart to watch  
the news rather than MTV's band of the week with death as a theme. Don't know  
why Max got upset that CNN kept the same volume up. Bart grew up in VR for  
all sakes!  
  
"A metahuman child offender turned himself in in Gotham tonight!", the news  
anchor yelled. "A city notorious for the criminally insane and its recent  
experimental seperation from the U.S., truly super powered criminals are a  
rare occurence! But this young shop-lifter seems to have seen the error of  
his ways!"  
  
The scene turned to a kid standing a little taller than the police podium. He  
looked well enough, clothing, hygiene, etc. He was just real pale, like he  
was sick or something. "I promise never to ever ever steal anything in this  
town again! I swear!", he yelled.  
  
One of the reporters managed to elbow his way above the others. "Ollie Knox!  
Was the Batman involved with the capture?!"  
  
A large detective at the kids shoulder stepped up protectively. "Goddammit  
Knox, there is no Batman!"  
  
That was so cool. No powers but the Batgirl had stopped him in the middle of  
a full run and put fear into an invulnerable guy. She was the absolute   
coolest. Like ice-cold. Like when Robin had glared at Superboy for putting   
glue on his mask when he had fallen asleep and it peeled off his face when he  
wiped his eyes. Sure, his second mask was still in place but Superboy was too  
scared to cocentrate hard enough to fly.  
  
*****  
  
Clang! The Batgirl drives her fist into the military thick armor of yet   
another practice droid. The armor makes them harder to break. They still  
have trouble lasting long enough. She thinks of the Oracle's most recent   
words.  
  
"You spend all your time practicing at fighting. If you spent even a little   
time at living, or at being with people, you would be just as good at it and  
a whole lot happier."  
  
She thinks of the boy again. The handsome speed. The ring. It will not be a  
lie to summon him. After all, she is failing-not at the criminal world, but  
her own.  
  
*****  
  
Something lit up in his pocket. What in the PlayBox is...oh, yeah the ring!   
He better get there right away.   
  
As others percieved it, instantly he was halfway up the coast. As he   
percieved it, he had plenty of time to think about why he was going. The kid  
had been arrested, right?   
  
When he got to the grove of trees in Gotham County he saw the Batgirl. Her  
cape protecting her...and in between him. How had she known which way he was  
coming from to turn his back to him? So he asked the obvious question.  
  
"Did he break out and now we gotta search the woods for him and you need me  
and my super speed to find him so I should go now right!"  
  
And he did. He searched everywhere in the forest. He even saved a robin egg  
from a venus fly trap, he did. Then he returned to the Batgirl.  
  
"I didn't find him.", he said.  
  
"That is not why called.", she told him. Huh?  
  
Then she turned to him. She let the cape fall from her unbelievably rock hard  
body. She took the stitched mask and cowl that kinda of spooked Bart off. A  
pretty, Asian face just a hair older than him looked into him.  
  
"I am Cassandra Cain. And I want to kiss you."  
  
*****  
  
With that she swoops over the distance between them. She grabs him by the   
upper arms and presses her lips to his. Then she pulls away.  
  
He is completely still for the first five continuous seconds of his life. He  
is stunned. He is happy. He is aroused. He is confused. He is worried that   
his lack of reaction will offend her.  
  
"Do not worry. Do not want you to worry. You do not offend me by remaining  
still."  
  
*****  
  
How does she know? "How do you know?", he asked.  
  
"I was taught to read body language as my first language.", the Batgirl  
replied. "The technique allows me to understand movement as thought."  
  
"Wow! Can you teach me? And why am I still thinking about you as THE BATGIRL  
rather than Cassandra? And what did you kiss me for? Why did you want to kiss  
me? What's Robin and the Batman gonna say? Why are we standing out in the   
woods?"  
  
Cassandra giggled and rested a gloved forefinger on his lips. "Do not   
think that you want to learn my technique. You are too old to start and there  
are...complications.  
  
"You get introduced to the Batgirl, not Cassandra. All you see.  
  
"Want to be with you. Want you to be together. Like. Kiss you...make you  
like.  
  
"You fast. And...cheerful. Have no cheer, always so grim. Bright too. Your   
way makes like you.  
  
"The Batman usually says nothing, only does. He probably already know and you  
still here and awake. Robin need not know.  
  
"Woods more private than city. Just us not mission."  
  
Whoa. "Whoa.", Impulse replied. "Look, I think you're really cool too. I mean  
really cool. You're like...what everyone tells me I can be and can't see.  
Like really disciplined and real-life smart."  
  
The pretty Asian face smiles. "So...you like me?"  
  
"Well, yeah.", Impulse hastily agreed. "I just think I should take you out or  
something. We can't just say we like each other and marry."  
  
"What is 'marry'?", she asked.   
  
"B-duh...like, you know. Mom and Dad?", Impulse tried to explain.  
  
"Mom?", she continued.  
  
"UH...I'm just saying that maybe we should go on a date. We shouldn't just   
say, I like you and that be that. We should hang out, get to know each other.  
Then if you still like me..."  
  
"Okay. Get to know you better.", the B...Cassandra said.  
  
"Cool. Uh, tomorrow? Around 5? How about Gotham Hieghts Mall?", Impulse   
suggested.  
  
"Good."  
  
*****  
  
Wow. Oh, let me describe the scene first. See, it's summer time, so it's   
still sunny out but not enough to be bright. Gotham Heights was never a part  
of No Man's Land, so its quake damage was quickly repaired over a year ago.  
The modern sprawling building that comprised its mall was only surpassed by  
some of the buildings in the remade Metropolis. Glass and steel and happy  
shining people casually strolled through the parking lots.  
  
But wow belongs to Cassandra Cain. She wore a pare of slacks that hung out  
side her combat boots and a tank top but so? Full black hair hung around her  
face but never hiding striking eyes. Her face was extremely pretty even   
though she wore no make up at all. But her body was the hardest body on the  
planet, it must have been. Lean muscle nearly yelled its presence wherever it  
was exposed. New physiological concepts could be discovered through her.  
  
The people that passed her gave her a second glance but nothing more. Besides  
her appearance, there was something...intimidating about her. They acted as  
if she was the predator and they were the prey.   
  
Some even gave her a third glance. Becuase out of no where one Bart Allen  
appeared. Big hair, armor solid sneakers, baggy jeans, anime character t-  
shirt and a single lotus from the Taj Mahal garden in India accompanied him.  
  
"This is for you.", he said holding it out to Cassandra.   
  
"Oh.", Cassandra took the wet flower. After glancing around, she resigned  
herself to holding it for the rest of their time at the mall.  
  
"Did what you asked me to.", she told him. Then she began to recite.  
  
"Bartholemew Allen, technically cousin to Barry Allen the current Flash.  
Legal guardian:Maximillion Crand/"  
  
"Whoa, that's enough.", Bart said taking her hand and leading her into the  
mall. "Enough people know about my family to drag attention around me.   
Talking about it in public doesn't help keep what I wanted our moment to be-  
private."  
  
Cassandra leaned into him. In a slight whisper, which just came across sultry  
"Why does your family not keep secret. You flaunt."  
  
Bart wasn't ready for that question. "I dunno. It just seems to happen. When  
I came here it was already that way. Everyone in Keystone and Center City  
and most other places like having a Flash.   
  
"It's not like Gotham. Everyone seems like they're covering up that Batman  
exists or yelling about him existing and no one's got any proof either way. I  
mean, if you're not...you know..."  
  
Cassandra kissed him on the cheek. "Like how you get confused. Shows life and  
learning."  
  
"You've learned things before though.", Bart replied. "I mean, no one can  
move like you do without knowing how."  
  
"No. Just know. Know how people move. Know how to move. Never learn. Still  
not learn how to read well.", she admitted.  
  
"Oh that's easy. I'll show you.", he told her.  
  
*****  
  
Wow. She is being cradled by him. Lifted in his arms barely before she knew   
it. The world around her is a blur. Not only from the speed she is travelling  
but from the dancing colors of the speed force. She runs her fingers through  
his hair, there is no wind inside this field or life that harms her or him.  
  
As quickly as she was taken up she is set to her feet again. The two teens   
stand at the side of a highway. Cars fly by. Corn fields ignore the two. A  
large green sign booms in front of them.  
  
Gotham City 100 miles  
  
"When I first came here, I had to learn a lot of new things.", he says. "I  
had to be told why I should dodge cars instead of having them go around me.  
That's the bad thing about growing up in VR. The good thing is all the stuff  
you can do.  
  
"Anyway, what I learned was the stuff that was the most useful. Don't jump   
off of too tall stuff. Don't anger people that can catch you. If you want to  
learn to read, you should read what's important to you."  
  
She points at the sign, curious. "Goth-am Si-tee", she reads. "That is where  
I protect. Seek redemption."  
  
"Yeah.", he encourages. "That's important to you. So you remember it better."  
Huh? "Redemption?"  
  
"Yes.", she replies. "My technique...it comes from training to be an   
assassin. My 'father' taught how to kill rather than how to speak. The  
Batman allows me the mission-to protect. To keep life."  
  
"Think that why like you. You really alive. Keep.", Cassandra states matter  
of factly. She kisses him again.  
  
That is understating the concept. She wants to express how much she wants him  
in her life. She has her arms around him but they are not over lapping. Her  
hands touch lightly on his shoulder blades. She presses herself against him,  
wanting to feel all of him and him to feel all of her. At first her lips are  
aligned with his. They part slightly. A lotus floats to the ground. Her   
tongue...  
  
And instantly they are in Bart's room. "I thought we should be someplace a  
little less public.", he says uneasily. "I know you people have a thing for"  
  
"UMPH", he exclaims. She literally jumps on him and they fall onto the bed.  
She looks into his eyes expectantly. He is still. Has she done something   
wrong? Does he not want her?  
  
Then he moves his arms around her. She is incredibly strong and it shows. He  
can feel it in her. She is kissing him again and this time her tongue is in  
his mouth.   
  
He can feel her tasting his teeth. He can feel her hands roaming along the   
sides of his arms. He can feel her...her breasts...her nipples hard in his  
chest. He can feel her legs rub against his. He can feel her hair on his   
temples. Under his hands he can feel her back muscles rippling. Anything she  
may lack by having no experience is easily made up for by knowing how he   
wants her to move against him, by wanting to love him.  
  
Love?  
  
"Cassandra.", he stops her. She holds herself above him straddling his waist.  
Her hands slide over his shoulders and chest. Her thighs push in toward his  
waist just that little bit.   
  
*****  
  
Oh man oh man oh man. Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl, a teen age Asian ultimate  
of physical perfection was squeezing him with her THIGHS. "Oh. Uh.", Bart  
tried hard to think.   
  
"You like this.", she told him. That was plain to see from Bart's eyes nearly  
fluttering and the occassional kick of his leg.  
  
"Yes. Oh, man, yes I like. I just-ugh-want to ask you one thing.", Bart told  
her. "Do you want love? Because I really am getting that signal from you. And  
I really have a hard time getting signals that aren't said."  
  
"Wanted to tell you. Did not know how to say.", she answered.   
  
"How about with words? 'I want you to love me'? 'I want to love you'? Big   
pink heart instead of a bat with a halo?"  
  
"Want to love you.", she smiled. "Want you to love me. Want to be with you.   
Bat symbol stay."  
  
And they pulled each other tight again. Cassandra Cain found the light in a  
grim world and wanted to hold onto him forever, but did not want to hurt him  
with her ability. Bart Allen found the simply coolest experience ever-someone  
who respected him, understood him on a level even he didn't and only wanted  
him to be happy:preferably with her. He wanted to explore every part of her  
but tried to keep his speed down to something that wouldn't tickle or burn or  
one of a million things he could mess up.  
  
"You afraid you will hurt me if you move your hands to fast.", she told him.  
"Do not be afraid." Cassandra rested her weight on his stomach (she was   
S-I-T-T-I-N-G on him!) and sat straight up. She took his hands in her own.  
  
The girl ran his hands up her torso. Hardened muscle that most action stars  
would gladly give up surviving until tomorrow for passed under his touch. Up  
until her breasts. "Just touch.", she soothed him.  
  
His hands closed over her shirt, over her breasts, over the hard nipples. He  
could feel her take in breath and breathe out. The nearly out of place soft  
on a pillar of hard stunned him. "sssshhh. It is okay. Squeeze."  
  
"I don't want to hurt you."  
  
"You will not make mistake. You will like. We both like that."  
  
His palms pressed lightly upward. He could see the outline of her nipples  
between his fingers. He put his fingers together, coming to both sides of the  
jutting tip. "Ah.", she gasped. Her hands held his to her when he tried to  
pull away. "No. Good."  
  
She touched lightly on the inside of his elbows and his arms bent. She came  
down on him, somehow sitting more on him. His arms didn't seem to keep them  
apart yet his hands could still feel her. Flexing his wrists moved her   
breasts in small circles. She could kiss him again and did so. Her hands and  
fingers rubbed against pulse points, acupuncture spots, little nooks and  
crannies in his body he did not remember having.   
  
It made her feel like she could provide for him. He gently tried to pull on  
her left breast. She could tell he wanted approval, to know he was being good  
and not evil. "mmmmm", she whispered in his ear. Then her tongue danced in   
it.  
  
After a moment, he could feel her speaking to him. The wind of her breath, a  
slight rumbling in her chest, her throat massaging his shoulder. "Want to ask  
you for something."  
  
"S-s-sure."  
  
"Can sleep here? Together. Arms around?"  
  
Bart smiled. He deeply kissed her. Pulling up his cover over them, the two  
settled into a spooning position. Bart tried to pull his raging erection away  
from her but her finger caught one of his belt loops. She patted his hip and  
pulled his arms around her as if to say that everything, every part of him  
was more than fine by her.  
  
The two teens fell into the most comfortable sleep of their lives.  
  
*****  
  
Cassandra Cain wakes up, a bit before summer sunset. The room is golden. The  
cover...the bed is a new form of softness. Posters of all things young-games,  
video games, cartoons, comics-adorn the walls.  
  
She can feel his arms wrapped around her. From his hands limply hanging in   
front of her, she can tell he's still asleep. That hasn't kept him from   
moving his dick against her.  
  
Cassandra smiles. She carefully brings one of Bart Allen's hands to her lips.  
She licks where he has the most nerves, right under his fingernail on his  
finger tip.   
  
Slowly Bart wakes up. She can feel that he wants to move against her.  
She can feel he's thankful she's there. She can feel he's uncertain what to  
do. She can feel he doesn't want her to be upset by him.  
  
"Ssshhh...", she starts. "Is okay." She closes her hands over his and presses  
her ass back on him. "You can move."  
  
"Oh wow.", is his first reaction. He presses against her and it is just the   
best thing that ever happened. Not grabbing the possessed Martian Manhunter  
by the cape, not even getting his hyper growth speed corrected...Just that  
strong muscle that she is giving him. He thrusts just a little. He can feel  
her through his pants and hers.  
  
She can feel him exactly. She brings his hands back to her breasts, slowly  
crossing his arms around her. Her left arm holds them there. Her right arm  
finds his belt loop again to bring his thrusts closer to her. He clumsily  
kisses her ear, his lips landing perpendicular to it. Cassandra makes a small  
twist of her head and he's resting in her hair, her ear offered to slide  
easily between his lips. Her right leg wraps around his, bringing him somehow  
miraculously closer to her. Her butt seems to part for his manhood, massaging  
him in impossible ways.  
  
"Want you to.", she tells him. He needs no further urging. Holding onto her  
by her breasts he thrusts. Bart can barely believe this is happening to him.  
He can barely believe her. Her feels her stiff nipples pressing into his  
palms. He can feel her holding him to her. Her work to bring him off. He can  
feel that she only wants one thing-to please him. Somehow he contains his  
speed.  
  
He can not contain his moans. "Uh. Oh, Cassandra. You're beautiful. You're so  
hot. uh. you're so good. you're...you..." and he falls beyond words. She   
smiles as he tenses around her. His throbbing sings music to her. Then it is  
if a high tension cable has been cut, he relaxes around her. 


	2. Batgirl vs Max Mercury!

Disclaimer:All of this belongs to DC Comics, hence Warner Bros., hence AOL  
Time Warner.  
  
Characters: The Batclan as far as I'm concerned is the Batman (Bruce  
Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), the Oracle (Barbara   
Gordon), the new Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), some Nightwing (Dick Grayson) on   
the side.  
  
The Gotham Police are Commish James Gordon, Det. Montoya and Bullock.  
  
The Flashes are Barry Allen, Wally West. Max Mercury is the guardian of   
course Impulse (Bartholomew Allen).  
  
Young Justice is Robin ("Al Draper"), Super Boy (Kon-El), Wonder Girl (Cassie  
Sandmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Impulse (Bart Allen), and the   
Secret and the Red Tornado.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Bartholemew Allen, what's going on up there?", Max Mercury calls out from   
the den. Cassandra doesn't need to look at him to know his eyes grew as big  
as they ever did. The footsteps coming to the room doesn't help his blood  
pressure either.  
  
She swings her right leg from him to the floor. A piroeutte and a back slide  
later she's standing next to the head of his bed, between it and the dresser.  
  
*****  
  
Oh no, no, no! Why does everything have to go wrong? Max Mercury opened up  
the door to Bart's room and looked directly at Cassandra Cain. Then his head  
swivled to view the rest of the room.  
  
"Is everything alright?", he asked. Max is truly puzzled. He's not called  
the Zen Master of Speed for nothing, and his carefully honed senses told him  
something was wrong. Okay, something that wasn't typically wrong with Bart's  
choice of stuffing every bit of merchandising he could into the room. What  
can you say? The boy had the attention span of CPU regulator.  
  
Bart's jaw was dropped. He looked at Cassandra to his left, who was for the  
first time standing in an akward position. Then he stared at his guardian who  
was truly puzzled. "I think I used the Speed Force when I was asleep?", Bart  
asked.  
  
That would explain the extra chi in the room, Max thought. "Okay. We'll talk  
about it when you're up to it. Sleep speeding takes some meditation to/"  
  
"Ah, man!", Bart spat. "Bart, I can't have you sleep walking all over the   
world. I'm supposed to teach you and that's what I'll do." Then Max left.  
  
"How did he not see you?", Bart asked. "You try.", she replied. Bart appeared  
at the door and instant later with a confused look on his face. He was sure  
she hadn't had the time to move but she was gone.  
  
Then Cassandra moved. Her arm came down from the window frame it blended in  
with. Her hips shifted and the khaki line no longer matched the bed's head  
board. The poster of some band's fan's faces returned to normal when she took  
hers out of it.   
  
"Wow. That's some nifty kung fu.", Bart applauded. "No.", she stated. "Was  
ninjitsu. This is kung fu." And with that, she seemed to twirl and melt at  
the same time up to the cieling. A toe caught the window frame. The opposite  
hand grabbed the support of the cieling fan. The other hand snaked out and   
looked like it just pulled strength from the cieling as if stuck to it by a  
magnet. If you didn't look at the cieling, you would have never seen her.  
  
"You ninja mind tricked Max Mercury? The Zen Master of Speed?", Bart was in  
complete awe. He barely felt the state of his pants after she worked her  
magic on him. Oh!  
  
"Can I go to the bathroom?", he asked her.   
  
She looked at him carefully. "You seem to be unhurt. Yes, you can." Then he  
realized how stupid he sounded and ran his fingers through his hair. "Thank  
you. For asking.", she assuaged him.  
  
He and another pair of pants disappeared from his room. He saw himself in the  
mirror before he saw the reflection of the door openning to let him in. This  
gave him a couple septoseconds to think.  
  
He had unbelieavable luck. Not only did Cassandra Cain, THE Batgirl, like him  
but CAME HOME with him. Max Mercury nearly caught him but she took care of   
that. She took care of him. She even appreciated him-like when he was helping  
her to learn how to read. And she let him do that thing to her. She/  
  
"Helping"? "Do to"?  
  
Superheroes, heck, regular heroes helped people. That's what made them   
heroes. The bad guys, they're the ones that did things to people. Is that   
what he became. Someone who got caught up and did something to other people?  
Bart - 'I'm under the influence of my own brain so what I do to you is okay  
despite your being victimized by me' - Allen? A picture of him only with a  
black uniform and the evil grin he always saw on supervillains popped into  
his head. Aw man!  
  
"Aw man!", he exclaimed. "I always mess things up." She had made sure that he  
...you know. He didn't do anything for her. Just to her. She probably hates  
him! He was such a jerk.  
  
A nearly imperceptible time later he had washed, brushed his teeth, changed  
and reappeared before Cassandra Cain. She stood with her arms crossed and a  
dead stare out the window.  
  
*****  
  
It is nearly night. Or as the family would call it, Knightfall. A city needs  
protection. And she is in Manchester, Alabama. She was straying from the   
mission.  
  
A small breeze comes in just ahead of Bart. "Look. Cassandra, I/"  
  
"Need to be in Gotham.", she cuts him off. She is thankful that he can do  
what he can. She won't stray. She will be redeemed for another night.  
  
He looks down at his shoes. "Okay."   
  
A rainbow, a fleeting touch, and 23% of a millisecond later she is standing  
atop the Western Gotham Tower alone.  
  
*****  
  
She still beats Spoiler to the Oracle. The Oracle feels helping 'Steph' will  
help 'Cassandra' if not the Batgirl. How anyone who has yet to earned "the"   
in the Batman's eyes could help, she did not know.  
  
Spoiler trapes in, seconds late as usual. "Right on time", the Oracle  
encourages her. "I've come up with a few new moves.", Spoiler jokes. The   
Batgirl merely gestures to the other room with her hand.  
  
Spoiler immediately composes herself into the apitome of serious. The two  
girls enter the bland if highly monitored room silently. The hum of various  
wave-length cameras and other sensors can be heard between Spoiler's breaths.  
  
Without warning or cue, Spoiler flies into a flurry of punches and kicks that  
drop grown thugs. The Batgirl steps between, jumps over and weaves her way   
through all of them until she is nose to nose with her inferior and can sneer  
in contempt at her.  
  
Spoiler snorts in frustration and grabs at her opponent. She might as well  
be grappling shadows. She curses as the Batgirl dances like a snake through  
any attempt.  
  
Then she starts fighting dirty. Sand to the eyes gets blocked. Stun gun is   
dodged as easily as punches. Spoiler throws a tri-bolo at the Batgirl and  
the Batgirl seems to explodes.  
  
"I didn't have any explosives in those.", Spoiler wonders aloud before   
realizing. The Batgirl's cape, boots and gloves are infront of her and the  
Batgirl isn't. That means that she's either above or behind her.  
  
Spoiler punches straight up. She is wrong. Now the pain begins. Bamn! Pow!  
Crunch!  
  
Crunch? "Not the ribs.", Spoiler attempts. The girl gets it in the face then.  
The Batgirl knows Spoiler is becoming family. She will never hurt family. But  
that doesn't mean she gets to slide. She won't let her love of Bart let the  
Batgirl slip.  
  
Her thoughts turn to Bart. Hoping she didn't get him into trouble with the...  
the whatever Max calls his mission form. Mercury? She remembers him acting  
disturbed with himself when he (quite literally) dropped her off. As if all  
her attempts to assure him he was not failing had themselves failed. And it   
isn't like she doesn't have a perfect example of someone failing.  
  
She turns her attention back to Spoiler. Spoiler has been working up a sweat  
trying to punch a seemingly apathetic Batgirl and having all her attacks   
deflected with only one lazy loping hand. The poor girl deserves some help.  
  
"Your clavicles flex up when you punch high. They flex down when you punch  
far. This should help." The Batgirl punches Spoiler just below the neck, hard  
enough to numb her shoulder bones. "That takes away one of the many ways you  
telegraph your attacks."  
  
Spoiler clutches at the spot above her chest. The Oracle's voice came from  
hidden speakers. "That's enough." Spoiler tries to catch her breath and gives  
an "okay" sign with her hand to one of the cameras.   
  
"*cough* I can go on patrol." Spoiler dragged herself out of the room. "I   
just need to rest a moment."  
  
*****  
  
"I'm gonna do right by her.", Bart spoke his thought as soon as it came to  
him. A blur from his room out the front door came into being. "I'm going   
out.", he called out to Max.  
  
Max grabbed him by the back of his shirt before he left the county. He walked  
the boy over to the side of the highway they were on. "Where is 'out'?", he  
asked.  
  
"Where ever I can find a good present for the girl you can't see. I was gonna  
try China.", Bart answered.  
  
"Girl I can't see? She's not just imaginary or a side effect of VR?", Max  
questioned.  
  
"No. She's just better than you.", Bart stated. Max slapped his forehead.   
"Can I go now?"  
  
"Be back by 10.", Max said while he shook his head. The blur didn't even form  
as Bart ran down the highway due west.  
  
*****  
  
Two caped and cowled girls sit on the ledge of yet another tall building in  
Gotham.  
  
"Help you.", the Batgirl tells Spoiler. "Now you help."  
  
Spoiler takes down the binoculars she's using. "Okay. Uhm...What's up?"  
  
"Went out today.", the Batgirl tells her.  
  
"Wow. That's really good. You want to know how to make a friend?", Spoiler  
asks.  
  
"Got friend. Went with him.", the Batgirl informs her.  
  
Him? "Him?", Spoiler says, trying to grasp it for herself. Since when did  
spooky spook with an extra side of kung fu get a boy friend?  
  
"Can read that.", the Batgirl tells her.   
  
Spoiler remembers that the Batgirl can read body language like you told her  
your thoughts. "Oh, sorry. It just seems you don't need my help if you're up  
to dating. But I want details!"  
  
"Details?", the Batgirl asks.  
  
"Yeah. What's his name? What's he look like? How far are you going?"  
  
"Not tell his name. Security."  
  
"He just as tall as me. Big hair. Real skinny. Big shoes."  
  
"Not tell how far going. Couple states."  
  
Spoiler cocks her head. "What do you mean, you don't know how far you're   
going? You're there when you...you know...touch." Spoiler sort of looks at   
her feet.  
  
"oh. That what wanted to ask about. We in his bed. Keep clothes on but   
'touch' until he feel very good. He happy when walk out room, but unhappy  
when come back in.", the Batgirl explained.  
  
"Bed. Whoa. Let me be the first to warn you about that.", the Spoiler told  
her. "You really, really want to be careful about this stuff. Anyway, how did  
you feel about it? How...er, 'happy' were you?"  
  
"Happy that he happy. Happy make him happy.", the Batgirl replies. Then her  
own words struck her. "He know he not make happy like he made happy?"  
  
"Well, yeah. If he didn't do anything for you he deserves to be upset. The  
big jerk.", Spoiler tells her.  
  
"Him not jerk.", the Batgirl tells her pointedly. "Not know that girl be made  
happy like boy."  
  
"Didn't know?!", Spoiler exclaims.  
  
"Watch HBO in early morning. Woman perform for man. Help him. Like we help  
Gotham.", she explains.  
  
Then it clicks for Spoiler. What exposure does the Batgirl, let alone Ms.   
Cain, have to relationships. Plus, with her ability to read body language,  
the Batgirl can tell the actresses are just doing a job and the men are  
actually enjoying it. Even if it is a job they in turn enjoy by doing good.  
Just like being Spoiler and making up for the crime her dad caused.  
  
"Look.", Spoiler starts out. "Sex isn't just 'help him'. It's supposed to   
make you both feel good. If you have him do what's good for you, he'll snap  
out of it. Does that help?"  
  
The Batgirl thinks about it. "Yes. No longer have use for you tonight." She  
then jumps off the roof. Beating the tar off of four muggers, one attempted  
stranger rape, two attempted date rapes, an arms sale, a recruiter for   
juvenile drug dealers, his body guards and Zsasz got the night done.  
  
The day belongs to her. Cassandra Cain. Secret identity.  
  
*****  
  
He got everything. All of it to make sure her next time was truly special. If  
there is a next time. Bart Allen couldn't believe he just didn't...man! If   
she ever calls him again, he'd make up for it. Honest.  
  
*****  
  
She stands nude in front of a full length mirror. She knows exactly what she  
looks like. She still hones every nerve to report back every possible piece  
of information and to communicate any possible order. She knows how her own  
personal chi flows through her.  
  
She performs the Two Dragons Fighting kata, a few arial manuvers in a single  
leap. There were three people she knows of that can do it without a power of  
flight-the Batman, the Lady Shiva and herself. Even her feet landed in the  
same spot.  
  
Cassandra Cain is looking at herself in a new way though. She flexes in  
western competitive weightlifting poses. She flows through a tai-chi kata.  
She even repeats a search position pattern she went through when she was   
five.  
  
Her form is perfect. Her ability is perfect. Every fighting muscle is exactly  
as it should be. Her hips swivel in fluid motions, showing her astounding  
flexibility. Even her breasts perfectly balance her butt. She puffs her  
chest out and looks at herself in profile. She knows her body can please  
Bart. That was not the questions.  
  
There are two questions. The first is will Bart forgive her once he sees her.  
She has the scars of too many bullets, too many slashes and too many burns.  
It is not that they somehow disrupt her appearance-she is too feminine, to  
perfectly healthy, even too cute for that. It is that they represent failure:  
the failure to dodge, the failure to resist a weapon...and especially to wait  
so long to escape Marko Cain and seek redemption for the lives she has taken.  
  
That leads to the second question. She uses her body to communicate. She  
uses her body to fight, to kill, to defend, to protect and even to teach.  
But experience pleasure? Leave alone her trained mentality that all non-  
informative stimulus should be ignored (the concept that a broken bone should  
be known of, not concentrated on). Does she deserve to?   
  
She remembers a talk show she managed to find on satellite TV. The doctors  
who were the guests describe sex as an unimaginable and uncontrollable  
pleasure. She did not seek pleasure or fun, ever. The only...satisfaction she  
got from her day is knowing that even the Batman would agree that the world  
was a little bit better today than it was yesterday due to her efforts. Her  
cave was uncomfortable but well equipped. Her suit was uncomfortable because  
it was protective. She had marvelled at Bart's bed because she had none.  
  
But to make Bart happy she had to experience pleasure with him. She could not  
settle for giving him pleasure. She had to allow him make her happy. She felt  
that was done by having such a brightness in her life for once, but it looks  
like he may always believe otherwise.  
  
It isn't like her nipples were hard because she was stimulated. Cassandra  
looks in the mirror and MAKES her nipples become hard, concentrating her  
blood flow to her breasts. She still thinks Bart would like her more like   
this, a flush chest and stiff brown nipples contrasting against her full, tan  
chest. With a thought, her body rights itself. But it seems as if she is   
suppose to like this too.  
  
Cassandra Cain promises Bart Allen that she will feel good with him. He will  
make her happy. She will try to...how did the doctors say it? Orgasm for him.  
  
The scar of the magnum round she took escaping from a drug lord's house after  
she assassinated him rears itself to focus. Like the absolute antithesis of  
a smiley face. She just hopes Bart will accept her flaws. She really does  
want to keep him.  
  
*****  
  
As soon as the ring was pressed, Bart Allen was there. I mean, there.   
Cassandra Cain had walked to one of the less crowded streets of Gotham and  
pressed the ring Bart gave her. Instantly she was in his speed force field,  
in his arms, travelling faster than she ever had without him.  
  
Then she noticed him. A blazer? She pulled the lapel of the suit he wore.  
"What is this?", Cassandra asked him.   
  
"You deserve a guy with class. A guy who gives you everything he can.", Bart  
replied under slicked back hair. "I'm gonna do my best to make this right."  
  
"No big hair?", she asks, pointing to the gel on his head. "Made you look  
more vivid."  
  
"Oh, you like the big hair!", Bart exclaimed. Instantly he stopped-on the  
center line of a 8 lane highway. Cassandra didn't seem to be affected by the  
speeding cars around her. Bart whipped a couple of towels out seemingly thin  
air (he ran and got them imperceptibly).  
  
"Get off the road you crazy teens!", some angry motorist yelled at them.  
Cassandra ignored him as Bart rubbed the gel out of his hair at superspeed.  
Not only did he manage to get every drop out but built up enough static   
charge to make his hair seem bigger than ever.   
  
"Like.", Cassandra told him about his old hair style. She continued with a  
peck on the cheek. Then she was in his arms again.  
  
The next time they stopped was in Bart's bathroom. It was rather large and  
rather well made. Whatever Max Mercury did for a living must be pretty good.  
Or he was corrupt, Cassandra Cain reasoned. But there was a jacuzzi filled  
with warm water and a large foam of bubbles.  
  
Bart drew in a breath. "I thought you might be sore, considering how you Bats  
do things. A hot bubble bath should feel good, right?" Bart changed his   
expression as if imitating a sly person. Wait a minute-he was not imitating,  
he really is that cheezy. "I want to make you feel good."  
  
Cassandra took in a breath. She looked at the tub and then him. So he wants  
to see me now, she thought. "I forgot the food.", Bart stated as if he didn't  
really forget, he just planned it that way. "It'll be a few minutes to get."  
  
A few minutes? At his speed?  
  
"Okay.", she told him. Bart actually walked out the door to the room. Once  
the door was closed though, a quick pitter patter of foot steps faded away.  
But Bart's metabolism had to be super high. It's only right that he should  
get food and leave her alone. Plus, he did Cassandra a small favor-allowing  
her to hide her scars another time.  
  
She quickly threw off the black sleeveless shirt and khakis and the rest of  
clothes, sliding into the tub naked. She knew how much stress she put on each  
muscle and that hot water would lessen any potential cramp. Plus the bubbles  
were useful for hiding her scars. But did it feel good? She shifted under the  
water trying to figure that out.  
  
"Can I come in?", Bart asked from the hall.   
  
Cassandra nearly sprouted a question mark over her head in confusion. "Of  
course." Magically a feast popped into existance around the jacuzzi's lip. A  
plate of fetuccini here, a deluxe burger there, fresh fruit over here...and  
Bart in a suit kneeling beside it.  
  
"What do you want first?", he asked her.  
  
She looked around at this spectacle. She had a very careful diet that not   
abiding by could mean death. Who knew when one thug weighed that extra ounce  
to throw, or rope would give way if she weighed another gram? "I can eat the  
steamed rice and vegetables.", she told him.  
  
Before she could even raise a hand a fork hovered in front of her with food   
on it. Bart was doing his absolute best to make sure she didn't have to do  
anything. He was helping her. He wanted to be her hero.  
  
Cassandra stared at the fork. Was this, this lazy reliance on him, supposed  
to feel good? Well for him-"Thank you." She allowed him to feed her.  
  
Bart made sure not to spill anything. He made sure not to go to fast. Or try  
to stuff her. She got through about half of the plate he made before stopping  
full. "Do you want a shoulder rub?", he asked.  
  
Again she was confused. The Batman had the Butler massage him sometimes but  
that was to increase performance. It was for the mission. She did want to be  
the best at the mission though. So maybe it would feel good? "Thank you.",   
she repeated.  
  
The dishes with most of the food still on them dissappeared just as   
wonderously as it had arrived. A moment later, Bart was hesitatinly touching  
her shoulders. A moment after that he had found a pattern that felt like it  
was loosening some of the tight muscle her body had.   
  
There was long silence.  
  
Cassandra leaned her head back. The top of her body pushed the bubbles in  
the jacuzzi up noticably. "Bart."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Want you in tub with me.", she stated plainly. How did Bart think she was  
going to be pleased sexually by him if he didn't do anything with her anyway?  
  
"duuuuuhhhh...Okay!", Bart replied. He seemed pretty pleased, even if just  
a tiny bit was to be out of the suit. In a flurry his clothes plastered the   
walls. Soon he slipped in the jaccuzzi at a near normal speed.  
  
His body was beautiful. Pristine. He never had a wound, or at least one that  
healing in superspeed couldn't heal without scarring. From being in super  
hero lycra a lot of the time, he didn't even tan. Pure white...innocent.   
  
Not like her. But still, Bart wanted to please her. She knew that. And she  
wanted him to be happy. She hoped her past fighting its way to the present on  
her skin didn't upset him.  
  
Bart slid in beside her and sat down like they were on grass and leaning   
against a wall. He even did the bad fake yawn to get his arm around her. The  
picture in his head made him look a lot smoother than his manner was in real  
life.  
  
She turned to face him, nearly laying on her side. "Touch me. Want you to  
touch me.", she told him. Bart pulled his hands to her. His right carressed  
her stomach. His left held the back of her neck as he kissed her.  
  
She didn't make any of her previous noises. Her mind raced, trying to find  
what was supposed to be good about being touched. Whenever a mercenary got to  
touch her Marko Cain punished her and still made her kill him while injured.  
The one week the Batman managed to touch her, she was nearly demoted-no  
fired. She trained her entire life to read people, to be able to play their  
bodies to her tune, not be affected by them.   
  
What if she couldn't percieve feeling good by touch? Bart had reached her  
nipples and was running his thumbs over each. They didn't automatically   
become erect. She wasn't breathless like he was. She didn't sweat like he   
did. What did her 'father' do to her?  
  
This was the first time she couldn't control her reactions to her emotions.  
She pressed against him, making sure he couldn't see her face. If he felt  
bad about not making her feel like he did, what would he feel like if he  
never could? And being the cause of his pain nearly made her depressed.  
  
Bart's hands didn't have any other place to go. He touched Cassandra where   
she had never been touched before. Fingers ran over softness. She made a   
small gasp in his ear.  
  
Gasp? "Do that again.", Cassandra pleaded with him. Bart looked into her   
eyes. "Please?", she said. That was followed by a moan.  
  
No one else had ever touched her there. For a man that had no trouble at  
breaking the ribs of an infant, Marko Cain was no pedophile. She was too good  
for anyone she didn't allow to get to her spot. Even when she took on the   
Lady Shiva to prove to the Batman that she deserved to be allowed to continue  
her redemption she wasn't touched.  
  
And it felt oh so good. Bart's expression was a genuine smile for once this  
night. As he explored her, Cassandra wrapped around him. Her arms encircled  
his neck. Her legs parted for his hands. Her tongue begged his face for his  
touch.   
  
Until her moans got to be too much to continue licking him. She jerked   
uncontrolably for the first time in longer than she conciously remembered.  
"You...huh...so good. You beau-ti-ful.", she told him. Her back arched and  
soon her nipples were on him along with the rest of her. She struggled for  
the concentration to make them hard. And that was the last of her   
concentration.   
  
"Uh, uh, uh, uh...", she panted. He continued the motions of his fingers.  
Bart loved the way he could see down her throat with her mouth gaping open.  
How her lips trembled. The need for him in her eyes. She wanted him. She   
needed him. Her hero. "Make...me...feel..."  
  
And then her cry. She jerked, hard. Her hands clenched into his shoulders.  
  
Then tears fell from her eyes. She felt exhausted yet energized. She felt hot  
but the water was cooling off. Her splashing had destroyed most the of the  
bubbles, but the soap itself made the water kind of murky enough to hide her  
sca/ oh the hell with that-it just didn't seem important right then.  
  
Bart lifted one of her tears in suprised sadness. Cassandra Cain smiled...not  
just to make him happy, but from the inside. "Happy now. More happy than you  
know." 


	3. Da Beach

Disclaimer:All of this belongs to DC Comics, hence Warner Bros., hence AOL  
Time Warner.  
  
Characters: The Batclan as far as I'm concerned is the Batman (Bruce  
Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), the Oracle (Barbara   
Gordon), the new Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), some Nightwing (Dick Grayson) on   
the side.  
  
The Gotham Police are Commish James Gordon, Det. Montoya and Bullock.  
  
The Flashes are Barry Allen, Wally West. Max Mercury is the guardian of   
course Impulse (Bartholomew Allen).  
  
Young Justice is Robin ("Al Draper"), Super Boy (Kon-El), Wonder Girl (Cassie  
Sandmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Impulse (Bart Allen), and the   
Secret and the Red Tornado.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
10:03 a.m. Wenesday. She still smiles. This is the day time. Time for   
smiling.  
  
She wears the mantle of the Bat at night. She does it proud. People live,  
people grow...people even feel that much safer. She will make up for her   
past. At night.  
  
Now she waits for Bart. Her Bart. She is finally living. With him, it is as  
if she is living all of Life all at once. Their time talking...okay, 99%   
Bart Allen rattling on about anything from why it's really cool to say school  
lunch sucks to why Shigeru Kojima's Mario Gear is "the bomb" whatever that   
means and 1% Cassandra Cain asking a question or acknolwedging enlightenment   
with very stunted words. Anyway, their time talking is like she is living the  
whole world because of him.  
  
Any witnesses would have seen a bright breeze and a small Asian girl   
disappear. Cassandra felt Bart pick her up and wisk her away.  
  
Bart's hands held her steady despite her wet suit. They were going on a beach  
picnic today. Bart says that it is a secluded spot and that usually means far  
enough away that only he and his relatives can go there and back in a day.  
Her feet, her hands and her head were uncovered with the suit matching the   
dangerous black of her eyes and hair. In what became her lap with the way   
Bart carried her was a large picnic basket that she hoped would feed Bart's  
metabolism.   
  
You know she had to learn how to make a sandwich yesterday?  
  
Bart on the other hand, was not dressed as if the only things he had to wear  
were covert ops gear altered to look even more menacing. A bright orange vest  
and huge orange swimming trunks trail off as if the boy was on fire. His flip  
flops smack against the ocean's surface, making microsecond foot prints in  
the water.  
  
A moment later it is sunrise. Out in the Pacific, the island they arrive  
at is just waking up. A sky as orange as Bart's clothes greets Cassandra  
Cain. When she looks at him, she can see how he's so affected by everything.  
His white skin turning the color of sunrise, the breeze ruffling his clothes  
which never touched him when he ran, his nodding his head as if recognizing  
he got everything right, his continuing trouble at keeping his jaw off the  
ground when in her presence.  
  
Bart took the picnic basket from her and walks very slowly (50 mph) over to  
a tall palm tree. The sand is not yet hot as the sun hasn't gotten to it yet.  
He pokes his head in the basket and then turns to her. "There's no blanket in  
here. I'll go get one.", and evaporates.  
  
Cassandra marvels at her surroundings. A beach that is for relaxing on not   
infiltrating. A dense jungle that serves to provide a back drop, not that's  
hiding a drug lord or other target. Bart appears at her side again with a...  
  
Well, isn't that cute-a black and orange blanket. It is hastily spread out.  
  
"The water's great!", he starts out. "It's not cold, 'cause, you know tropics  
and it's not hot 'cause, you know, early and do you know howtoswimdidMr.Cain  
teachyouhowtoswimandthat'sabadsubjectsoI'mgonnastoptalkingaboutit/"  
  
He does just before his imagination cooks up a white haired Clint Eastwood  
type with a Vulcan Cannon on the side of a plastic kiddie-pool yelling like a  
drill sargeant at the cutest infant in the world. She turns the memory of a  
white haired Clint Eastwood type away before it can bring her mood down.  
  
"Race you to the water.", Bart says energetically. Cassandra kisses him then  
licks his tongue with her own...then isn't there. By the time Bart looks up,  
she's already in the water laughing. She looks even better laughing than she  
does in the shadows, Bart thinks to himself.  
  
He races to where she's at and when he stops runnning, instantly sinks. The  
boy dips for a second before coming up for air. His big hair clings to the  
side of his head much like Cousin It from the Adam's family. Cassandra points  
and laughs. 150 splashes and second later, her hair is just as flattened.  
  
They splash back and forth, touching at each other, rolling around in the   
water for the next few hours.  
  
*****  
  
Bart was amazed at how not only his first real girl friend was not only   
beautiful and understood the super hero thing but managed to seem as tireless  
as he was. She was happy around him, because of him, for him. She saw some  
thing she called "the light" or "the brightness" about him, but he didn't   
think his speed force aura was that visible. And the craziest thing was that  
he never got bored.  
  
Cassandra had the same smile she always had, but he could look at it for a  
long time. A long time. She seemed to actually make him want to stop for a  
moment. Without Max's scolding.  
  
"You want to play that you're a princess and I'm your knight in shining   
armor?", he asked her. Cassandra smiled. She wasn't a rug rat good for only  
killing what you pointed her at-she deserved to be honored. The girl nodded.  
"Okay, tell me to do something."  
  
Cassandra skipped right over the thing she heard the most of-slay a dragon.  
There was enough violence and scaly, slimy reptiles at night in her world.  
"Build me a castle!", she commanded, one well muscled arm pointing at the  
beach. She could make out Bart when he stood long enough in one spot, but not  
his limbs as they were a blur of activity.  
  
In a few minutes, she was clapping in delight. What she had anticipated was a  
few tree limbs leaning against each other to further the game. What she got  
was...a castle. A sand castle to be sure, but it was over three stories tall.  
One large entry way, railed walls, several windows. "Come see, come see,  
cumcumcumcumcumcum/", Bart cried out.  
  
Cassandra swam back to the shore. The castle was wondrous. And it was all for  
her. Even in the walls were engravings of her and Bart holding hands in the  
mall, reading the road sign, asleep in his bed, him feeding her rice, him  
massaging her shoulders in the jacuzzi...Each of the rooms were a dedication  
to the time they spent together.  
  
"Deserve reward.", she stated. She drew him to her and started kissing him.  
His arms wrapped around her and held her to him. She took her own hands and  
slowly pulled him to the blanket. When they laid side by side, her right hand  
started to pull on the top of his swim trunks.  
  
*****  
  
Even when he is still he is in motion. Being this close to him lets her feel  
his heart beating away, sounding like a torrential rain storm. Her hair   
dances a bit at the sides of her face as his fast breathing pushes it about.  
Her lips leave his face, tracing out the jugular arterie. Following the chi  
cavity she stimulates his nerves...  
  
No, not sexy, Cassandra thinks to herself. Keep simple, like his way. Like  
his way. The girl parts his vest to reveal his chest. Chest.   
  
She lays her head on his chest and listens to his want of her. He has a   
runner's body, but his chest is still strong. She works his trunks off him  
while taking one of his nipples between her lips. She licks him.   
  
"You like.", Cassandra tells him more than asks. His only reply is a gasp as  
presses her tongue against him. Her face continues downward as she kisses his  
stomach and belly button and/  
  
"Are you sure you want to?", Bart asks her. He's leaning up on his elbows  
looking at her questioningly. She pulls on his hands, forcing his arms flat  
and him to lay down. "You like.", she tells him.   
  
He's hard and standing in the air. He can feel the heat of the sun that has  
risen nearly as high into the sky as he has. Then he can feel a new heat. He  
anticipates it. "Do please you?", she asks him.  
  
He breathes out, "Yeees." as she touches her tongue to him. He tastes ever so  
slightly different here. A touch of the sea salt tinges him here as well.   
Something else too. She licks the entire length again. Her breath heats him  
more.  
  
Then she wraps her mouth around him. He can feel just a hint of her teeth and  
a lot of her tongue. She strokes her tongue against his underside. He presses  
up and she takes most of him in.   
  
Bart climbs back up to his elbows and looks. He sees Cassandra looking at him  
while he's inside her mouth. She winks at him playfully and sucks hard,   
harder than he could have expected. It's the last sight he can understand  
fully for a while.  
  
She's sucking at him continually now, rationing and channelling her breath to  
not break her spell. Her right arm lays...no holds his stomach down and her  
left hand seeks out a spot just behind his-there it is.  
  
Cassandra tries to work more spit in her mouth now. Even leaning some of her  
weight on him, he's bucking at her at close to super human speed. She knows  
if he dries out her mouth it won't be what she wants him to feel. Her tongue  
is writhing against him. Her wet lips keep him between them.  
  
Rain falls pretty fast. A single drop of water falls from a couple miles high  
and it's gonna fall pretty fast. That's a single drop. A single drop doesn't  
hurt from a few miles up. Multiply that speed by about a hundred and make it  
a thousand times bigger.  
  
That's what's going to be in her mouth in a moment. She thinks. Now!  
  
She blows as hard as she can without hurting him. Bart can only cry out as  
she jerks her head off him and his seed flies through the air. Through barely  
open eyes he sees it fly...and Cassandra's face moving..and her tongue   
catching it sparkling on the tip.   
  
In nearly his speed, she's on him again. He's not moving nearly as fast and   
her mouth fills. She waits until he stops.  
  
Then she moves up so they're nearly face to face but he still has to bend his  
neck down to look into her eyes. Her hand cleans him and she brings that hand  
up to her lips. Those same lips have a single if large drop hanging, then   
falling from them. The same hand catches that drop.   
  
Cassandra swallows in front of him. She shows him her throat working. She  
licks her lips. She licks her hand. She drags her fingers across her face and  
licks them again. She speaks. "Want every part of you. Like all of you. You  
give. I...am...yours."  
  
During the time she gave her performance his body has cleared away his   
fatigue poisons. He leans up then over her. His hands travel softly over her  
and she smiles at him. He wishes he knew what look he could show to make her  
feel like he did when she smiled.  
  
"Like your face now. Show wonder.", Cassandra tells him. He pulls at the   
zipper on her wet suit.   
  
The scars! she thinks. Cassandra Cain presses lightly on the inside of his  
elbow, moving him to cover her from that side. She wraps her arms around his  
shoulders and whispers in his ear as Bart continues to pull her zipper all  
the way down. "Want you to listen.", she tells him.  
  
Bart slips his left hand inside her suit and his right under her back. His  
fingers trape across her breast. She hardens her nipples and flushes her face  
in response. She gasps in his ear. She pulls at his ear lobe with her teeth.  
He can hear the breath in her nose.  
  
She knows what to encourage him with. Not only does he like encouragement,   
but it will help him. It will help him when he touches her. His hand travels  
lower. Touches her in the only place she can still feel. "Ah."  
  
There.  
  
He can feel her wetness. He kisses her temple...her forehead...any place his  
lips can get to with her holding on so tightly to him and shaking her head  
back and forth. He can trace the shape of her. He reaches her nub and hears  
her.  
  
"Oohhhhh. Please...please..." A small smacking as she presses her lips   
together to the side of his head. "Do it. Dooooooo...uh, uh, more, more, uh"  
She calls to him. She clenches at him from the inside while his fingers play  
on her surface. Her hips buck at his hand.   
  
"Please...more, mo, muh,muh,muh,m,m,m,m...Owhn-nnnn!", Cassandra nearly cries  
out in pain at the pleasure. It is the most intense physical feeling she's   
ever known and he's made her feel it.   
  
She can feel wetness trail across her stomach muscles as he pulls his hand  
from her. He waits for her to open her exotic eyes before speaking. Even in  
her relaxed state she can see the earnestness about him. "I...I want to   
belong to you too.", he tells her.  
  
She smiles and they kiss with his fingers between their lips.  
  
"I told you they weren't shipwrecked!", Superboy exclaims from a few feet   
away. "You owe me two bucks, WonderBabe."  
  
*****  
  
I know superheroes aren't supposed to swear. I know superheroes are supposed  
to be the best, set examples, be role models. But still...  
  
Damn.  
  
With a sonic boom, Impulse turned his head up. When his eyes catch enough  
photons to make an image, he sees what is effectively Young Justice on its  
day off. Superboy with shades, leather jacket and swimming trunks. Cissie  
with blonde hair and trunks over a one piece suit. Secret. "Al Draper" with   
the most shocked look Impulse has ever seen on Robin.  
  
He ducks back into a world of a low hum, deep blues and ultraviolets-all from  
the Doppler Effect of how fast he's moving. Everything seems to be standing  
still except for the parts of reality he changes. Cassandra becomes standing,  
her wetsuit zipped up, the blanket draped around her. His trunks are back on,  
up, and string tightened. His vest is back, zipped.  
  
Okay...good.  
  
Normal speed.  
  
"Al" coughs and while covering his mouth extended one finger to his left. All  
six turn to stare at the huge sand castle depicting Bart and Cassandra's  
entire relationship for all the world to see.  
  
Fuck. 


	4. Fall Out

Disclaimer:All of this belongs to DC Comics, hence Warner Bros., hence AOL  
Time Warner.  
  
Characters: The Batclan as far as I'm concerned is the Batman (Bruce  
Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), the Oracle (Barbara   
Gordon), the new Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), some Nightwing (Dick Grayson) on   
the side.  
  
The Gotham Police are Commish James Gordon, Det. Montoya and Bullock.  
  
The Flashes are Barry Allen, Wally West. Max Mercury is the guardian of   
course Impulse (Bartholomew Allen).  
  
Young Justice is Robin ("Al Draper"), Super Boy (Kon-El), Wonder Girl (Cassie  
Sandmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Impulse (Bart Allen), and the   
Secret and the Red Tornado.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
"So who's your" *smirk* "freind?", Kon-El asks.  
  
She sees them. And by seeing them knows them. The first is not quite human,  
part alien-and he retains his flight even when he pretends to stand. The same  
for the first blonde-shy, super strong, she flies too but is far less   
accustomed to it than the dark haired male. Robin is trying very hard to be  
someone he isn't. The whisper of smoke...that's the one she's concerned with.  
Not her lack of heartbeat or breath but her lack of...humanity? Life? Or her  
overwhelming innocence?  
  
Kon-El steps back a pace under her glare. Only two people managed to look at  
him that way-the Batman and Robin. Could this be...  
  
"Uh, This is Cassandra. Cassandra Cain.", Bart announces. The Asian girl asks  
him with her eyes. He shrugs.  
  
"I'm the Kid. But any 'freind' of Bart can call me Kon.", Superboy says. He  
shakes her hand firmly. She presses firmer. He adds the tiniest amount of   
tactile telekenesis to his grip to protect himself. She matches.  
  
"I'm, uh, Cassie?", the blonde tentative extends her hand. Cassandra throws  
down Superboy's hand and takes the new one delicately. She still holds the  
blanket around herself like her cape. Her eyes are mere slits in her face.  
  
"Uh, 'Al Draper'.", the last male says and waves. She nods in his direction.  
  
I'm Suzie!, the smoke told her chipperly. It forms some substance to the   
appearance of a hand. "Do not touch me.", Cassandra tells her.  
  
Rude but neccessary. With Robin and Superbody and their knowing Bart, these  
are obviously Young Justice. She knows that her family maintains a relation  
with some over arcing organizations, like the Justice League of America. She  
is not to that point. HE will decide if she will ever be.  
  
On top of that, she has orders not to confront metahumans. Secret and   
Superboy, even the blonde that has planted her feet more firmly to the ground  
as if she can hide the fact that she can fly positively scream metahuman. And  
they have made her Bart uncomfortable.  
  
Cassandra fights the urge to make them 'uncomfortable' in her very own,  
special way. She gives in to the urge to make them uncomfortable in HIS way.  
  
"Are you two the secret identities of other members of Young Justice?", she  
asks "Al" and Cassie.  
  
The two look at each other. A large, red contraption of a vehicle bounces up  
like a puppy and nuzzles "Al". "Uh...no?", they reply.  
  
"Here with Impulse.", she tells them while wrapping the blanket around Bart.  
"Why are you here, if not Young Justice?"  
  
Superboy snaps his fingers. "They're our dates!" All eyes fall on him. "We're  
allowed to have girl friends." The Kid looks at Secret whisping across the  
beach and "Al" standing normally. "Or boy freinds."  
  
Secret seems to light up. "Yes, he's my boyfreind. I'll prove it!" She throws  
herself on "Al" in an enthusiastic kiss. "Al"'s gasps for air are for naught.  
Secret only lets herself vaporize and fills his lungs with an aphrodisiatic  
version of herself. By the time she lets go, "Al" is fit to collapse.  
  
Cassie glances sideways at Superboy. Then she tries to meet Cassandra's eyes.  
She quickly pecks the Kid's cheek. Then Cassie immediately wonder-blushes.  
Her blush only spreads down her arms as Match, er, Superboy puts his arm   
around her.  
  
Cassandra laughs at their antics on the inside. She still looks scary on the  
outside. "Can we go now?", Bart asks her. She nods sharply, singly. The sand  
castle slowly disintegrates before the couple disappears.  
  
"Al" looks over to Superboy. "You can take your arm off her now.", he  
informs. Cassie looks down. "uh, no, no. It's good where it is."  
  
*****  
  
The Batgirl floats out of the monitoring room. She feels fresh. Awake. A  
limping Spoiler follows her out. The Oracle calls her attention. "Batgirl,  
there's someone here to see you."  
  
An he is before her, in all his ominousness. The Batman's white eyes narrow  
into preversions of her own Asian features. "Robin tells me that you're   
dating a metahuman."  
  
For the first time, Spoiler notices Robin standing beside the Batman. She  
tries to sneak a quick wave to him but he doesn't respond. The Batgirl kneels  
before giving her answer. Robin motions for Spoiler and him to find chairs,  
keeping everyone in the room far away from the Batman's height.  
  
"Robin good de-tek-tiv.", she says. Then her mask looks into the boy wonder.  
"He need more martial arts training. Will 'help' him. Like help Spoiler."  
Spoiler looks up from where she's pulled her costume away from the bruise on  
her shin.  
  
"Yes, he does.", the Batman agrees. "But that's not the point. Explain this  
metahuman."  
  
The Batgirl quickly informs. "He Impulse. He member of Young Justice. He   
hero. Have mission.  
  
"He live far away. But his speed mean that he always close by. He very bright  
light in world of dark."  
  
"Robin also tells me you 'wanted to knock Superboy's light's out'?", HE   
continues.  
  
"Superboy make fun of Impulse. Not like. But used words. Not do violence."  
  
The Batman looks over her. Judges her. Weighs the letter of his words vs. the  
spirit-the essence of justice. "Fine." Everyone looks a bit startled. "Go out  
on patrol. Remember my words."  
  
The Batgirl nods once, hard. Then she disappears out into the night. Robin  
looks confused. "But I thought you said [deep voice] 'No Metahumans'."  
  
"I did. Taking into account the telepath as well as the incident with Lady  
Shiva, that still holds. She drives herself to be the best, which led to her  
confronting the greatest martial artist in the world. She also thinks with  
her hands and heart...rarely her head.  
  
"If she starts confronting truly superpowered individuals for the sole   
purpose of showing she's good enough, she will get herself and others hurt...  
or worse. That's why even though she's better than you, she's not my chosen  
successor.", the Batman replied.  
  
"That's where I need you. I don't want Young Justice trying to 'include' her.  
Make sure they continue to think Cassandra Cain is a 'civilian'."  
  
"Besides, Oracle didn't know she was dating this Impulse. If her performance  
hasn't slipped and she's continuing to be who the people on the street need  
her to be, it's really her business."  
  
"Now let's get some ansipropylzine on that bruise of yours, Stephanie."  
  
*****  
  
Two white blurs bounced around Alabama and a few of the neighboring states.   
All over were purse snatchers that find their ankles tied with the straps,  
muggers with their guns in the hands of their victims, police and fire  
fighters one yard away from the spot they were standing in which saves that  
many lives. Then a red blur joined them.  
  
"Hey, Bart. Max.", the Flash greeted.   
  
"When we're like this, they're should be some attempt at professionalism,   
especially with him. Use our code names." , Max tells him. "I don't think a   
super villain is going to be scared by Wally West and Bart Allen."  
  
"Okay...Max.", the Flash admitted. "Or do you want to use Max Mercury, the   
Zen Master of Speed. Wait, let's add to that."  
  
"You made your point."  
  
"Zen Buhhdist, Shoa-lin, philosophizin', faster than/"  
  
"Why are you here, Wally?", Max cut him off.  
  
"Oh...I don't know. Batman told me something about Impulse.", he said.  
  
Impulse tried to take off in the opposite direction but two hands grabbed   
him by the shoulders, turned him around and continued on with him. "What did  
you do now?", Max asked Bart.  
  
"Nuthin'. I didn't do anything, let alone anything with the Batman.", the boy  
shook his head until a little cyclone danced through his hair.  
  
"It's nothing to be worried about Max. Batman's just keeping a close eye on  
members of Young Justice since Robin's in it. Turns out that Bart's got a  
girl friend.", the Flash teased. Bart groaned.  
  
"I know. Apparently she's better than me.", Max stated. Bart groaned louder.  
  
"She's no one with another name. A civilian named Cassandra Cain.", the Flash  
told him. "I hear she's exotic." Bart groaned even louder.  
  
"Hi. My name is Bartholomew Allen. Some people call me Impulse. And I have   
the lamest adults to hang out with." And with that, he sped off.   
  
The Flash burned after him, chanting "Bart and Cassandra, sittin' in a   
tree.". Max Mercury shook his head and took off after the two before the   
Flash got his feelings hurt by Bart out running him.  
  
*****  
  
"So where did you pick up a hot chick like that?", Superboy asked for the  
thousandth time.  
  
The five were lounging around the HQ of Young Justice. To the amusement of  
most, Wendy the Werewolf Stalker was pounding yet another one scene wolfboy.  
  
"I'm not telling.", Impulse said. Robin watched the entire proceedings very  
carefully.  
  
"Come on. My buddy gets a girl and we don't know anything about her.", Kon  
continued. "What if she's a trap. Like a robot that's especially programmed  
to deal with you, just to find out more about the team and/"  
  
"I don't think so.", Rob said. "She seemed perfectly normal to me."  
  
She looked like she really likes Bart too., Secret enunciated. It's good  
to find someone who cares about you. I think that's how families get started.  
  
"Family? Who said anything about a family?", Wondergirl asked hurriedly.  
  
"Well you saw what they/" About twenty objects around the room instantly   
seemed angry at Superboy. "Alright, alright! It's in the past, never mention  
it again.", he called out while he used his tactile TK to protect himself.  
  
After Impulse returned to the couch, he couldn't resist. "Does she have a  
sister?", Kon-El asked.  
  
*****  
  
Impulse leaves clear foot prints when he's not on the streets. If he were to  
take wilderness, say to go to a tropical island, then even a dead man could  
track him. Teen even. All the way back to Gotham City. If he had a purpose.  
Like taking out the competition early to become the world's greatest super  
villain.  
  
If the shoe fits, Harm granted himself. 


	5. Batgirl vs Harm

Disclaimer:All of this belongs to DC Comics, hence Warner Bros., hence AOL  
Time Warner.  
  
Characters: The Batclan as far as I'm concerned is the Batman (Bruce  
Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), the Oracle (Barbara   
Gordon), the new Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), some Nightwing (Dick Grayson) on   
the side.  
  
The Gotham Police are Commish James Gordon, Det. Montoya and Bullock.  
  
The Flashes are Barry Allen, Wally West. Max Mercury is the guardian of   
course Impulse (Bartholomew Allen).  
  
Young Justice is Robin ("Al Draper"), Super Boy (Kon-El), Wonder Girl (Cassie  
Sandmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Impulse (Bart Allen), and the   
Secret and the Red Tornado.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
This trap was beautiful. That's the only way to describe it. It takes into  
account everything every successful villain does and avoids all the mistakes  
the ones that don't count commit. It left Harm getaway time, getaway routes,  
time to gloat...  
  
Impulse blurs into Gotham. The only way into Gotham are expressways, train  
stations and Gotham Harbor...as the Impulse foot falls-not the airports.   
Simple deduction reasoned that Impulse would use the highway. In the non-  
traffic sides of the highway was a sublime device: a pressure pad that was  
triggered when something comes down on it and stays triggered coupled with a  
motion detector. When something ran across the pressure pad and did not set  
off the detector, it could be considered Impulse.  
  
This sent a radio signal at the speed of light to the particular rooftop   
that Harm stood on. That radio signal started the spot light aimed at the  
Gotham cloud cover. It displayed an 'Impulse' signal that could be seen  
across the city. Suckering his mark.  
  
He had also set up four static electricty generators that used the power of  
the entire building. If anything moved fast enough to be at a different   
electric charge than its surroundings, electric energy would surge through it  
also at the speed of light.  
  
So Harm's trap was sprung at 7:43:22 p.m. And Harm was in gloat mode by  
7:43:25. Impulse crawled around the roof top, shocked at how his muscles  
wouldn't move. "Is this what being tired feels like?"  
  
No, no, no., Harm consoled. Harm turned off the 'Impulse Signal' before   
returning to leaning on his sword. This is more of a burning. I like burning  
even more than poisoning, you know. Poison can look like an accident, as if   
it wasn't truly evil or malicious.  
  
"You/"  
  
Harm cut Impulse off. You'll be sorry? You'll be stopped? Come on, how   
cliche are we going to make this? I've put in my time. I came back from the  
dead. I styled my gear. I modernize the trap. I even painted my face up. And  
all the new generation of so-called superhero have to offer me are the same  
tired lines their dads said a billion years ago? I deserve better.  
  
Harm raised the scimitar. You don't.  
  
Just before he could kill the immobile Impulse, a shadow teleported him away.  
Huh? No, Impulse was just moved to the side of the roof. Harm looked up into  
the darkenning sky and the shadow became the most damning shape Gotham had  
to offer. This was not in his plan. He wasn't suppose to show up for some  
time yet.  
  
Then the young female penny-dropped from her line to the roof. Harm looked at  
the new girl in the familiar style of cape and cowl. "You better look behind  
...you.", Impulse managed to get out before passing out.  
  
Harm giggled. Heh. Whew. I thought I had messed up. Thought I was about to  
throw down with the Batman. But you aren't even Robin. Just...what the hell?  
Bat-chick? Bat-Babe?  
  
The Batgirl dug her toe into the gravel of the roof. Heroes aren't the only  
ones with detective skills. I find mine very useful.  
  
You haven't taken anything out your utility belt, despite the fact that I'm  
armed. You haven't got me yet, so you're here alone...You gonna just fight  
me?, the villain asked.   
  
Fine. Let's just do it right. I don't want to miss out.  
  
*****  
  
She sees only the thing that has harmed her Impulse. He thinks his world is  
about the costume and the gimmicks and what side you're on. He thinks she is  
the same, not considering whether she wears this just because HE tells her to  
do so. He doesn't look smug, he feels it-unbridled confidence. He wants the  
ceremony of the act.  
  
The Batgirl takes time to check Impulse' vital signs. All seem steady if not  
exactly normal. But his heartbeat and breathing are what she's come to learn  
they generally are. There are still slight tremors in his limbs as the charge  
stabilizes in them.  
  
Harm takes the time to update his log. Book of Blood:Bat-female, teen. Looks  
like a fists first kind of girl. As with all Bat derivatives, expect no   
metahuman capabilities, possible gadgets. Note to self:update after her  
death.  
  
Harm lays down the sword and starts stretching to his side. The Batgirl also  
starts bending. The two fighters prepare. Working out the kinks in any muscle  
or tendon. Double checking bones. Slight bounces to get the juices flowing.  
They both push their capes to their backs. A slight nod.  
  
Taking up the sword, Harm comes to her. She runs at him. Harm drives the  
scimitar in a rabid slice through her midsection. It connects with nothing  
but air. She has leaned back on her left leg into a horizontal position and  
used her momentum to slide her right foot into his solar plexus.  
  
Harm tries to slice away the attacking leg. The Batgirl swings it back under  
and behind her. This pushes her upperbody toward him. Cupped hands collide  
with his ears, attempting to blow out his ear drums.  
  
You bitch! The dead don't hear with their ears!, he spits at her. His sword  
points into her soul. This'll make sure you come to Harm., he declares. He   
has made up his mind to chop her from the top of her head, down her spine,   
straight through to the roof.  
  
She sees this in him, and it could be easily countered before its inception.  
But she did not like the comment that implied he was already dead. She did   
not know why his eyes glew red. She waits for his actions to catch up to his  
mind.  
  
The scimitar slashes through the space she was in so short a time ago that  
Harm does not have a chance to check his swing. The sword cuts through the  
gravel, the tar and into the structure of the building itself. She now has a  
choice to make.  
  
The Batman commanded that she not confront metahumans. She does not know why.  
But HE knows best. However, the mission is to protect. Her leaving does not  
protect Impulse. Her leaving with Impulse puts her at a possible disadvantage  
against Harm.  
  
She ducks forward to avoid the sword. She twists to her left and the sword  
follows her cape. She leans back, her eyes catching the reflection of a   
setting sun in the gleam of the blade.  
  
It is Impulse. It is protection. Nightwing is still family and he does not  
protect Gotham but Bludhaven. Robin is still family and he encouraged Steph  
to become Spoiler. Protection is the mission. The rules are the guidelines.  
  
Harm is going down. Metahuman or not.  
  
The Batgirl flips and lands on one foot on Harm's head. The monster nearly   
cuts into his own hair as she flips again and lands silently behind him. She  
waves her fingers to herself as Harm glares at her over his shoulder.  
  
First rule in any fight-save the civilians. They are more important than us.  
They are the why of the mission. Impulse is out of Harm's way.  
  
Second rule in any fight-survive. The Batgirl has avoided every attack thus  
far.  
  
Third rule in any fight-end it as quickly as possible. She rushes in, eons  
away from the scimitar's sharp curved edge. The Batgirl drives her fist in  
just below Harm's ribcage. He's not wearing armor. Her left fist round houses  
into a cluster of nerves on the side of his torso that connect directly with  
his heart. With the sword still travelling away from her, she pops into the  
air. The back of her heel pounds into his temple.  
  
Harm still stands. heh. You think you can kill what's already dead? Think   
you can cause me pain after I've been to Hell?!  
  
The Batgirl was holding her punches back. If he was already dead, it wouldn't  
be killing to use killing blows. She reforms her fists. It never occurs to  
her that this isn't the way to contain or defeat a revenant.  
  
Harm stabs to her with the scimitar. She has no use for it. Hence, it   
shatters in Harm's hand as an impossible motion drives her open palm through  
it. Her knucle lands in his belly button. Two pointed fingers poke at his  
aorta. A clawed grab to the blood vessels in his chest. The back of her fist  
into his larynx. An uppercut that would shatter the jaw of a horse.  
  
Harm is shocked. He stands. He does not seemed injured. But damn, who brought  
this demon to Earth and what did he do to them?  
  
He quickly blocks to the right with both of his massive arms. He realizes his  
eyes followed her cape just as her other foot bites into his jugular.  
  
Angered, Harm punches. A light, fleeting touch guides the fist below her.  
  
Calm, the Batgirl punches. A hearty crunch reports that the bridge of his  
nose wanted to collapse into his brain pan.  
  
He claws at her. But she's already prone on the ground before him. She kicks  
his tail bone tip in the center of his pelvis and Harm lands on the back of  
his neck. While he is backwards to his feet, she's tumbling through the air.  
When he tries to push himself up, she tries to break open the crown of his  
head with an axe kick.  
  
After forcing the villain back to his hands and knees, the Batgirl wraps his  
hair around the fingers of one hand and takes aim with the other. She used  
this punch to bust through concrete once. She's never landed a blow this hard  
on anyone and only dared try on Lady Shiva. There are one hundred and eight   
spots that true martial artists aim for-spots that can end fights instantly.  
Three are on the back of the head.  
  
One hella hard blow + one kill spot = one seriously ticked off undead Harm.  
  
Harm shakes loose from her grip. Standing, he tries to grab her in a bear hug  
and use his strength advantage. She steps back, not out of fear, but because  
then she can trap the small bones of his fingers under her arms. She stomps  
on his toes and keeps her feet there. Her fists come from underneath and slam  
into his elbows.  
  
The metahuman is strong enough to bend his elbows which bring the two   
fighters closer togehter. The Batgirl waits for him to coil back in an   
attempt to head butt. When he does, her arms unwrap.  
  
Her fingers quickly find the nerves that control the little flap that keeps  
food going down the esophagus and air down the larynx. The Batgirl sinks her  
fingers deep into them, as if driving spikes into a railroad track   
permanently. Then she kicks off his chest.  
  
When she lands, Harm is grabbing at his throat. Her fingers are still   
unbloody though. Harm still speaks while holding his throat.  
  
What part of dead don't you understand? How long do you think you can keep   
up with me?   
  
Then his watch beeps.   
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!  
  
His plan states that he overstayed his welcome. He had calculated how long it  
would take Young Justice' super-cycle to get them here and he had to leave  
now to ensure his escape. He was supposed to have killed Impulse by now. No  
speedster in his future. Dammit!  
  
Fine win this time bitch!, he curses her. The Batgirl shook her head. She  
does not do 'next times'. She advances on him.  
  
Harm pulls out a remote and jumped off the roof top. At the press of button  
the static electricity spheres explode. She has to let him get away to clear  
Impulse.  
  
*****  
  
She held him in her lap in an alley. No one dared looks in alleys in Gotham  
anymore...unless they were the reason no ond did. Impulse started to move  
when a bright light surrounded him.  
  
The Batgirl made out that it is the same red machine that had accompanied  
"Al" the other day. Superboy and Wondergirl are at her side in a moment.   
  
"What did you do to him?", Match, er Suprboy accused.  
  
Impulse returned to conciousness and stood up. "She saved me."  
  
"From what?", Wondergirl asked.  
  
"She?", Superboy asked. He touched a finger to her cape and pulled it away  
from her with tactile telekenisis. "Oh. Okay.", he said while appraising her  
body.  
  
The Batgirl snatched her cape back and held back the fist that begged to be  
shoved down Superboy's throat. "Ah!", gasped Superboy. The Kid jumped behind  
Wondergirl. "Can you tell her to stop looking at me like that?"  
  
Impulse interrupted. He starts nearly bragging about the Batgirl. "She was  
incredible. First, I come into town to see you know who, right? Then all of a  
sudden there's a giant symbol like this in the sky. Then like a whole bunch   
of lightning is everywhere and my arms and legs act like they shut down and  
it was even hard to breathe."  
  
"Next thing I know, Harm is there and talking. Blah, blah, blah, I'm evil.   
Blah, blah, blah, I'm bad. Then Batgirl comes out of no where just wails on  
him. I mean like bambambambam/"  
  
You fought Harm hand to hand and won?, the Secret asked after returning to   
her normal colors instead of a blend of shadow. The Batgirl nodded. Don't you  
know how strong he is?, the Secret continued. She nodded again and cracked  
her knuckles.  
  
"But I thought you Bat-guys didn't have any super powers.", Superboy stated.  
The black clad girl shrugged her shoulders in satisfaction.   
  
Everyone but Impulse took a step back from her. "Whoa.", they say in unison.  
"Can we like, hang 'round you for a while?", Superboy asked.  
  
The Batgirl shook her head. She made a broad sweeping gesture toward the  
city at large. Then she tapped the bat emblem on her chest. "Oh, we  
understand that this is Batman's city.", Wondergirl assured her.  
  
The Batgirl then pointed to each of them individually. The Secret.   
Wondergirl. Impulse, just to cover. And especially Superboy. Then she   
extended her thumb and jerked. Message recieved, loud and clear. Get the   
*@#! out o' town, fools.  
  
With Robin typically being more polite to them, the group is a little put   
off. Except for Impulse, who is already in the super-cycle. The clamber in   
and take off, not looking back. Except for the fastest kid alive, who uses  
his gift to catch a stealthily thrown kiss. 


	6. Intermission for reflection

Impulse' powers-  
  
Impulse appears to move at close to infinite speed without thinking   
relativistically. The only people who are garaunteed to be able to move more  
quickly in my opinion and keep to the ideas of Bart's story are Wally West   
(the fastest man alive) and Max Crandall (his guardian).  
  
I didn't have Impulse move at more than half the speed of light. 150,000 kps  
is more than enough to give the teleporting, the color distortion, the people  
as statues, etc. that I put in this fan fic. Vibrating molecules past other  
molecules and defeating weak force is very very high speed though, and   
Impulse can do that.  
  
Batgirl, Metahuman?  
  
I think the first part of this is whether the Batman, or the Lady Shiva are  
metahuman. The greatest martial artist=super power? The world's greatest  
detective=super power? Lady Shiva could outfight Killer Croc and Bane at the  
same time. The Batman notices more clues than Jo'n Jon'z (sp?), with no real  
telepathy or beyond human senses. Does Captain Boomerang's ability make him  
'super'? If so then, sure, why not? But that loses the meaning of the word  
super power. Like Catwoman's "photographic kenetic memory" where she can   
remember any move she's witnessed is somehow super.  
  
However, if Batgirl is truly 'blessed/cursed' with a signifigantly differing  
mind, then I say 'yes'. The gift of visual telemetric telepathy, coupled with  
absolute biological control makes her truly superhuman.  
  
Furthermore, the D.E.O. specialist felt her aggregate performance was super  
human. The concept that humans can head butt through concrete, sprint at  
30+ mph, jump 28+ feet...just not all at once. The Batgirl can.   
  
Add that to the truly mythical abilities of being grand master plus skill   
level of all nine schools of ninjitsu, both directions of wu-su, etc. and   
what do you have? Red Hand Sand alone can stack 12 bricks and choose which   
one to break by smacking the top one. The stealth school of ninjitsu allows   
for 'cloaking' and 'invisibility'. Some near mind control powers are   
'intermediate' in some arts. Seeing the unseen or 'scanning' is held by   
people today. Cassandra Cain is portrayed as possessing these abilities as  
well. (Like the time she grabbed Shadow Theif's sword.)  
  
Harm's strength?  
  
In the issues that introduced Harm, Young Justice felt he was surprisingly  
strong. He did manage to put a non-super tech sword through the Red Tornado's  
armor.  
  
I think that in a Super-something comic, Harm would be just 'pretty tough  
guy' but in a Bat-something comic he would be super strong. Like Killer Croc  
or Mr. Freeze, he could easily flip a car but not toss it into outer space.  
  
The Perspectives?  
  
I tried to move this into a perspective thing. Batgirl has a view different  
than Bart, who has a view different than anyone else.  
  
For Batgirl, her learning disability keeps everything in the present. Data  
either exists or it doesn't, never history or used to. Even when studying  
pre-Shiva, it was total concentration on the learning at hand, and then she  
never 'learned' the info, she now knows it.   
  
As for her family, she views it the same way a traditional dojo or Chinese  
Opera house was run. There is the Master (Batman) who is a reknowned expert  
in all that the school has to teach (martial arts, fire vs. fire morality,  
hands on detective work, deductive reasoning, MacGuyvering for lack of a word  
to describe the chemical and mechanical/electronic engineering aspects, and  
disguise/presentation). There is the Master's Wife who does the   
organizational aspects of the school (Oracle). The rest are class mates who  
are referred to as siblings based on their expertise-Biggest Brother   
Nightwing, Big Brother Robin, herself, and littlest sister Spoiler. If   
Huntress was included, then I would have probably labelled her in my head  
along the lines of little sister. Robin and Nightwing were placed in my head  
above her because of their detective and/or leadership skills in place of  
pure martial arts. I took this setup from Jackie Chan's autobiography.  
  
This would be the mentality of the consimate martial artist. Or, at least my  
perception of such.  
  
Bart however thinks at warp freakin' speed. The kid would have ADHD if he  
slowed down enough to get that slow. Everything is history, including the  
words you're saying right now. Every thought has to be out in the open right  
now, hence speaking without further thought.  
  
Age questions?  
  
Bart is unrelativistically chronologically -997, relativistically  
chronologically 1003, biologically 14, and philisophically ??? How can his  
mental age be measured acurrately after the issue where he learns to draw at  
a professional level in a single pane? Hence, I view Impulse as an adult who  
gets treated like a kid because of his learning disability.  
  
Cassandra Cain is chronologically 17(?). However, after over a decade of   
assassination, and having centuries of expertise (Red Sand Hand alone   
requires at a bare minimum 5 years of training to become 'competent' at and  
she's the equivalent of a double Grand Master), and the work she does every  
night I can not say that she's not an 'old soul'. Therefore I consider her  
very much an adult, but a foreigner to real life.  
  
Superboy?  
  
I've come to understand that Superboy had met Batgirl in the comics. My bad.  
  
However, I'm placing Young Justice around the time that Cissie King-Jones   
retires. With that, Match is pretending to be Superboy currently and does  
some very pointed things in canon to disrupt (kissing Wondergirl being one  
of them).  
  
Also, Cassandra Cain would have met Superboy but not Match. Match moves like  
Superboy, hence she would think them to be the same person. Match didn't   
understand she met Superboy, hence moves as he would if he had never met  
Batgirl. With her estranged mentality and her ability to read body movement  
before speach or even her own memories, she would naturally assume this is  
the first time she's ever meeting 'Superboy' (who's really Match).  
  
Put that bullshit explanation in your pipe and smoke it. It makes a lot more  
sense than how Superman stopped being Energy Two Supermans.  
  
What I don't like?  
  
I think I'm getting Max Mercury a little not right. I can't place my finger  
on why it's a bad characterization, but I don't know...  
  
I wanted to get the Flash Family reaction to Bart dating one of "them...you  
know...Bat-people". But it just didn't make sense to me to reveal the not so  
secret identity to anyone but Bart. It seemed to make Batman...less bad ass.  
Also, I'm not as familiar with Jesse Quick and the rest of that side as I am  
with Detective comics.  
  
I meant this to be a lemon, but not lose the fact that these two are super  
heroes. Hence, a bit of them doing heroic things (saving people as a matter  
of course, etc.). I think the Harm bit went a little over-plot to this fic.  
  
Future of this fic?  
  
If I get enough reviews, I will continue this. My plans are to compensate for  
the Harm plot with another Cassandra/Impulse date, followed by some events  
that I have yet to think of that culminate with Superboy vs. Batgirl for the  
annoyance Match causes Batgirl. And lots of fallout (Batman's "You didn't  
obey me.", Superman's "You brought me Batman problems boy."). Along with the  
real question-  
  
Who would win, Batgirl or Superboy? I don't know if "The Dark Knight Returns"  
would reflect on this battle. 


	7. Lady Shiva vs Love

Disclaimer:All of this belongs to DC Comics, hence Warner Bros., hence AOL  
Time Warner.  
  
Characters: The Batclan as far as I'm concerned is the Batman (Bruce  
Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), the Oracle (Barbara   
Gordon), the new Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), some Nightwing (Dick Grayson) on   
the side.  
  
The Gotham Police are Commish James Gordon, Det. Montoya and Bullock.  
  
The Flashes are Barry Allen, Wally West. Max Mercury is the guardian of   
course Impulse (Bartholomew Allen).  
  
Young Justice is Robin ("Al Draper"), Super Boy (Kon-El), Wonder Girl (Cassie  
Sandmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), Impulse (Bart Allen), and the   
Secret and the Red Tornado.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
The little girl is killing again. Isn't she cute with the pink dress   
splattered in blood and little bits of gore sticking in her dimples? A dainty  
butterfly in an urban wasteland of death. The white haired father frowns.  
  
"What are you going to do about all the bodies? I only want the money from  
your murders, not your mess."  
  
Then numerous medics pop into existance. They all look the same with their  
big hair and big feet. You don't think they're all the same boy and he's just  
really, really fast? Either way, the bodies become people again. The world  
isn't coated with blood anymore.  
  
Only her scars remain. In a sitcom-y voice the boy asks, "Did you do that?"  
  
*****  
  
She wakes in complete silence. Her face is as much a mask as what HE gives  
her. Her sences tells her everything is in its place. She is alone.  
  
That does not comfort her like it used to. But she'll suck it up. Time for  
training, then patrol, then the Oracle, then Spoiler, then following the   
Oracle's directives until the sun rises.  
  
But then the sun will rise. The day will come. And in the day, her medic. Er,  
man, meant to say man.  
  
*****  
  
Tai-Wan. Is this where she comes from? Everybody seems to look like her here.  
As she takes in the somehow techno yet seedy and shady atmosphere of this   
dance club on the other side of the planet, she notices some of the people   
here seem to nearly keep up with her pace. No one keeps up with Impulse.  
  
His arms are wrapped loosely around her waist. She manages to jump around in  
some insane revery that she picked up from watching everyone else in the   
crowd of dancers. He manages to jump around haphazardly at a speed that  
doesn't burn her. Together, a black short dress and white jeans on white   
shirt symbolize the dance of chi between yin and yang.  
  
She runs her fingers through his hair, over his shoulders, over his arms...  
Just from looking at him, she can see his thoughts jump from one to the next.  
  
He likes the dress, even if she covers her legs with just as jet black   
tights. He likes the way her hair bounces. He likes her fingers in his hair.  
He likes her bouncing in front of him. The music is nearly loud enough for  
his tastes, even though a body could still shout over it. Every time her lips  
or hands get close enough to his face he actively resists the urge to kiss  
because he doesn't want to give her a reputation in a dive half way around   
the world. Whatever a reputation is. The design raised in her sleeves is   
pretty. Not as pretty as her. Look at those eyes. Mustn't kiss her, even if   
she is licking her lips. Glad he has super speed-with his enhanced perception  
he can be with her 'longer' than anyone else. What's she looking at?  
  
"What are you looking at?", Impulse asks. She doesn't reply. "WHAT ARE YOU  
LOOKING AT!!!", he yells over the music.  
  
"FELT YOUR QUESTION THE FIRST TIME.", she yells back. She uses a hand to  
turn his head by the jaw.   
  
Now he's staring straight into the eyes of an Asian woman. She's a little   
tall for her ethnicity, but nothing spectacular. Attractive not by natural  
beauty but just by being old enough to be know how to present herself but not  
too old to be...well, old. Instead of the hyper-feminine or nigh anime look  
every other native is going for in the club, she's wearing a black navy   
sweater on black slacks under a supervillain purple trench coat.  
  
And one of her eyes winks at him. A small utility blade pops out infront of  
this woman's mouth. She licks it. Five arcs later, five obvious Tong rough  
customers are slashed superficially across the cheek. Throwing the blade to  
the background, she smiles.  
  
Her fun now begins. The thugs who once ignored her are now actively trying to  
kill her. One of them is Kong "the Evil Elder Monkey" Fong-Cheng, supposedly  
the Ruffest of the Ruffest. Doesn't anyone know the Lady Shiva is number one?  
  
She dances in between knives and bullets and-did one of these fools just pull  
an LX Industries laser pistol on her? Oh, hell yeah! Nothing touches her. No  
one approaches her. Kill her, I dare you, I double DOG dare you! Ha ha ha ha/  
  
The Lady Shiva glances around. None of the thugs are standing. Was she so  
great that she killed them before even she percieved it? No, their bodies are  
not here either. What is here is a little American white boy with the biggest  
hair she's ever seen on such a small body.   
  
"THAT WAS STUPID!", he yells at her over the music, while flipping through an  
English to Tai dictionary. "THEY COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!"  
  
How precious! A small child concerned for her safety. Even though she's the  
Lady Shiva and he's so very very bright, in a cheerful sort of way. "Who are  
you here with, boy?", she whispers.   
  
Now Impulse is frightened. He knows for fact she whispered. He knows he needs  
to use super speed to fake other powers, like super hearing. So how did she  
have him hear her? Then a strong hand pulls him away.  
  
"HE WITH ME.", Cassandra Cain tells her plainly in English. Bart Allen knows  
conciously what the Speed Force gives him. That doesn't stop him from feeling  
afraid of this woman. Or safe, now that Cassandra is with him.  
  
The woman pulls up to her full height and looks down on them both   
appraisingly. She smiles in a not happy sort of way. More like a predator,  
imagining sinking her teeth into dinner that isn't quite full grown yet.  
  
"Good.", she claps her hands. Her whisper still gives a ghastly effect of   
being heard not over the music, but through it. "Training with a speedster.  
That's a good edge. I look forward to the results."  
  
"HOW DID SHE KNOW I WAS A SPEEDSTER?!!!", he yells at Cassandra. The girl  
pulls the dictionary out of his hands that he's been using to translate full  
speech as it's spoken. "OH!!!"  
  
"Buy you a drink.", the woman breathes to his girlfriend.  
  
"CHEAP SHOT!", Cassandra yells at her.  
  
"Oh, I didn't mean alcohol. I know what drinking can do to people...like us.  
It's just that clean water is expensive in this town." The adult shrugs her  
shoulders. "But that's okay."  
  
The woman turns to walk away. But she stops. "Oh, I forgot to ask.", she says  
over her shoulder. "Did you want to try to take me in, even though your year  
isn't up?", her perfect Tai offers.  
  
"ARE YOU GOING TO KILL?!!!", Cassandra yells. Impulse balks. The Lady Shiva  
looks around and doesn't find any sign of Mr. Elder Monkey.   
  
"I don't have to.", she says before becoming enveloped in the crowd.  
  
As soon as the woman is out of sight Cassandra blows up. Screw that she's in  
the middle of a crowded night club. Half way around the world from home. In a  
culture that shuns emotional discharge, let alone public affection.  
  
"I'M A KILLER!!!", she yells in Bart Allen's ear. She hugs him with a   
strength he's sure only she can muster. And even though he's excited by how  
close she is, he's mortified that she's bawling on his shoulder.  
  
He makes the best motions he can think of to comfort her but they just seem   
like cheap tricks of politeness to him. She's yelling to him over the music:  
  
Her deal with the devil to be perfect for a year in exchange for a fight to  
the death with the greatest martial artist in the world. She wasn't just  
trained by Cain Marko, she killed for him-no, not him, his pocket book. She  
doesn't show herself to him because a life of murder left her with a body of  
scars and he won't like them and he deserves someone unmarked and the nudity  
of that someone and she understands that it's not her...  
  
She is greedy (for not allowing him someone else with the time she has taken)  
and scared (because he should leave her right here where she'll never see   
home again and never be redeemed in Gotham) and evil (because Cain Marko made  
her kill again and again until she escaped sometime in her early teens)  
and murderous (she wants to believe she'll sacrifice herself to the Lady   
Shiva but what if she's just too good to die) and angry (but not at him)  
and wanting (for the first time in her life) and sad (because) and so very  
sorry.  
  
Cassandra can't wail loud enough. Her tears don't flow fast enough. She can't  
hold on to him hard enough and doesn't dare try. Her guilt should burst her  
skin but it can't pierce the martial artist who earned it.  
  
The music stops. The tears distort but she can see blue sky instead of   
glaring lights and green prairie instead of melding bodies and the bright   
halo of Bart Allen that remains.  
  
She can feel his tears begging to break onto his cheeks. "Sorry.", she says  
for the thousandth time. "Let go. Hold you to strong and hurt you. Just like  
killer would."  
  
She tries to let go even though to do so would break her heart. He doesn't.  
"The only thing that hurts is your crying.", he tells her. "You been through  
so much and it's like you came out of that hole to be with me. And I can't  
even keep you from crying."  
  
"You talk bad about these scars and I can't show you how beautiful you are,  
with your eyes and your hair and your lips." The boy pauses to kiss those   
lips lightly. "You talk about guilt when you escaped the highest paid   
assassin in the world to keep from doing bad and make up for it every day   
with the Batman-and from what Rob tells me, if he accepts you you have to be  
a hero. You shouldn't be sorry to me, I should be sorry to you. I can try to  
make it up to you by running you to someplace Lady Shiva and no one else will  
find you, so you will never have to hurt again."  
  
"If you want me to."  
  
She sees in his eyes that he really means it. She starts crying again, only  
more quietly. He continues to rub her back. "ssss...I'll make it alright. I  
promise. I'll/"  
  
And she shuts him up with a kiss. The pain on her heart from guilt turns to a  
bursting feeling. She knows exactly how to express this. So does he.  
  
"I love you.", the voices chorus. Their arms settle into familiar comfortable  
places. Their tongues work to bind them to each other. They press together-  
subconciously echoing their desires to be one flesh.  
  
Their lips smack apart. "I love you." Touching again and apart. "I love you."  
Cassandra notices that the world has slowed down around her, and when she   
moves her gaze the colors change with it. Bart has activated his field so   
they have the speed to tell each other and kiss each other and...  
  
Replace a scar with a beauty mark. 


	8. Pulsefall

You know, it was pretty good to have a girl freind who connected with you on  
so many levels. Like now, this was just too cool.  
  
Impulse was at the Young Justice Headquarters, mostly because Robin had every  
one promise to attempt a 24 hour a day awareness of world crisis. Secret and  
Superboy's ability to not have parents switched off on overnights and school  
hours. Which meant the others 'worked' week-ends and after school. Leaving  
Impulse here rather than with Cassandra.  
  
*****  
  
"You want me to just be here, even though there's no supervillain?", Impulse  
asked Robin. "But that'll cut into my girlfriend time!"  
  
"Oh. She needs a lot of upkeep because she got pregnant by another guy, then  
decided to make up for her father's crimes and impress you by endangering   
herself and her baby needlessly, then gives the baby up and pretends nothing  
happened and on top of all that has your pseudo father figure betray your  
best kept secrets without caring one way or the other?"  
  
"Well...no."  
  
"No? So you got it pretty good?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Good. Be here early Saturday morning. MORNING."  
  
*****  
  
Hence, Bart was here in Young Justice HQ rather than watching cartoons with  
Cassandra Cain in his lap like he had become accustomed to. Fortunately, when  
he told her about this she gave him a video phone number. Unfortunately, when  
he asked if calling it would allow people to trace it to the Batgirl she said  
something like "Prophet tells me no one smarter than her with trace.".  
  
But still, it was a happy time. With the computer checking for threats, he  
was free to talk endlessly to his girl friend. With it being daylight in  
Gotham, she was free to repeatedly 'fail' at hiding herself within a black  
silk robe.  
  
After she showed him her first scar and they still loved each other, the last  
of their worries evaporated. She now knew that showing herself to him, bullet  
holes or no, made him happy. So she did so a lot. Oops. Did that lapel slip  
just a little to much from her left breast? Best hurry really fast to pick it  
back up, huh? Especially since a girl popped out from the smoke around Bart.  
  
Girl?  
  
The image of Cassandra on the small view screen snatched her robe together.  
Who are you talking to?, the Secret asked Bart innocently. The smoke-girl  
materialized in mid air with her hips right next to Impulse' head and her  
blonde head curiously staring at the viewer. Bart blushed partially for  
Cassandra being only in a robe, partially for now having girl experience and  
Secret effectively hanging herself on his shoulder and partially from having  
Cassandra see the Secret balancing with a hand in his lap.  
  
As for the Secret (who remained niavely oblivious to personal space, being  
smoke and innocence), she kept her demure composure. Oh, hello Impulse' girl  
friend., she greeted cheerfully. Cassandra clutched her robe together (not  
out of modesty, but because her nudity belonged to Bart) and did the Bat   
Glare at the smoke girl. 'Suzie' was so taken aback that she let a little of  
what she actually was shine through. Cassandra was so taken aback that she  
nearly let go of the robe.  
  
"We were, uh, sort of talking here 'Suzie'.", Impulse told her. Cassandra  
merely raised an eyebrow in annoyance.  
  
Oh., the Secret sighed. I'm sorry. And with that, she wafted away. In the   
doorway, she reformed. 'Suzie' cast a sad look at Impulse. Then she wafted  
away.  
  
Cassandra smiled because now she was 'alone' with her Bart again. Bart   
frowned. "I should go after her and make her feel better.", he said.  
  
"Oh.", Cassandra said. "Well...if that is what want to do..."  
  
"Thanks. I'll talk to you later, okay?"  
  
Cassandra held onto the robe like a security blanket. "Is okay."  
  
*****  
  
"S-s-sec-c-c-ret-t-t-t!", Impulse called out in reverb from about twelve  
seperate spots. The boy raced around, through, inside and outside the head  
quarters trying to find the Secret. He finally found a lot of her in an air  
shaft. "Can you come out? Please?", Impulse said to her knees.  
  
The Secret dissipated and her face showed up in the vent openning. But it's  
dark, and tunnel-like and there is a light at the end of it in here. It's   
really very comforting. And I felt like being comforted since you don't want  
to be my friend any more.  
  
"No, 'Suzie'.", Impulse blurted out. "Come out. Please?" The Secret looked  
into herself for a moment, then smoke spilled out into the hall. The girl  
reformed nearly a full top half in the hallway, with smoke spilling out from  
underneath her jacket.  
  
"Look, I'm still your friend, Suzie. What would make you think any thing   
else?", Impulse implored.  
  
Well, *sniff* you said that she was your girl friend. So I thought that all  
your other friends that were girls...you would not want us any more. That we  
were...replaced. She is not very friendly, any way.  
  
Impulse kept from slapping himself. "No. Suzie...", Impulse started. If only  
Carol hadn't kicked him to the curb when his comic book got cancelled...  
  
"A girl friend is different than a friend who is a girl. Sort of. I mean, she  
is my GIRLFRIEND but that doesn't mean that you aren't my friend." The Secret  
looked at him as if seeing him from the first time.   
  
Like a Mom and a Dad!, 'Suzie' exclaimed.  
  
"Sort of...", Impulse admitted.  
  
Maybe I could be one of your children?, the Secret asked. Impulse saw that   
she was no longer about to cry and that her color had brightened   
considerably.   
  
"Uh, let me ask her."  
  
Kon is here., the Secret declared.   
  
Impulse blurred into the first room of the headquarters. The Secret was   
already forming out of the part of her already present. Superboy floated  
down with a box of donuts. "Whoa. What's all the rush about."  
  
The Secret looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. You're my friend too, aren't  
you?  
  
"You know it babe.", he replied. Superboy tried to put his arm around her  
affectionately but she hadn't formed substance and instantly wafted away.  
  
Impulse piped up. "Are you and WonderGirl here for your shift?"  
  
"Yeah. You don't think I'm carting around pink, heart shaped donuts for my  
own self do ya?", Superboy answered. He openned the box and showed Impulse  
the too cute donuts. "You know what this means don't ya?". Superboy elbowed  
him lightly in the ribs.  
  
"Don't ya? huh? Don't ya?", he continued. Elbowing lightly...with metahuman  
tactile telekenetic enhanced strength.  
  
"You stop elbowing me and I won't eat all those donuts before WonderGirl gets  
here.", Impulse advised him.  
  
"You couldn't even...", Superboy trailed off as one of the donuts literally  
dissappeared before his very eyes.   
  
Impulse licked his lips. "You were saying?".  
  
"Cool. You can go now?"  
  
Impulse blurred straight to Gotham.  
  
*****  
  
Impulse is suprised-and grateful-that Cassandra trusts him enough to have   
shown where her cave was. And where all the traps were. Even with his powers  
it was still a chore to get in.  
  
This time he only accidentally triggered one. Wires and an elastic forming  
gel were about to coat him until he vibrated his very molecular structure so  
fast that he managed to dodge everything in 360 degrees atom by atom. The  
walls of the tunnel he was in were stickier than anything though.  
  
When he actually got into the cave, he peered into the darkness for at least  
a couple of milliseconds. He still didn't see the fist coming from the   
shadows. But that doesn't mean much at half the speed of light. Even though  
the fist had connected, Impulse still had time to spin away before a single  
cell had burst from the impact.  
  
This left a startled boy in full superhero lycra looking at a horrified girl  
in a black silk robe. Cassandra instantly threw herself to Impulse' knees.  
Impulse took off the mask and his uniform top, leaving him in t-shirt, threw  
himself to his knees, saw what Cassandra was doing, got back up, decided  
better of it, thought for a couple of moments then decided to catch her.  
  
The couple held each other on the cave floor.  
  
"So sorry hit. Just reacted to intruder. Just want for happiness. If girl of  
smoke make happy with powers, then go. Deserve happy..."  
  
"Ididn'tmeantomakeyoujealous.Youdon'thavetobejealous.We'rejustfriends,that's  
all,honest..."  
  
"Just love so much. Please forgive."  
  
"It'sjustthatIloveyousomuch.I'msosorry.Youcanhitmemoreifyouwant."  
  
Cassandra Cain barely heard a word out of the steady drone. She did, however,  
interpret all his little spasms and heaves. He still loved her. He wanted to  
be forgiven for something. The hero thing! He saw she would be upset if he  
left her for the smoke girl and that's what's making him upset.  
  
The girl held him tightly and rocked back and forth slightly onto her heels.  
"Sssshhh...", she comforted. "Love you. Want happy. Not hurt." Bart Allen  
looked into her eyes.  
  
"You're not dumping me?", he asked.   
  
Cassandra moved just enough to straddle his lap. "Of...uh,...Course! Of   
course not. Love. Am yours." She kissed him. "Want robe off now that alone?"  
  
"Yes.", Bart answered instantly. He reconsidered his unhesitancy as impolite.  
"Please?"  
  
"Unwrap.", she told him. The boy slowly took his right hand from around her  
and pulled on one of her lapels. The boxer's robe slid off Cassandra's   
shoulder under his gentle coaxing. Once it slid, he could see a small,  
perfectly circular mark.  
  
*****  
  
"What? You think you're going to be able to see all of a target's guards all  
the time?", David Cain asked the toddler in his possession. "This dark room  
and this sniper rifle have a few lessons to teach you girl. Don't worry.  
They're low caliber."  
  
*****  
  
Cassandra slid over him like a liquid. She splashed against him like a wave.  
His lips touched her shoulder and he drunk of her. The robe continued down  
her arm. A light stripe was revealed.  
  
*****  
  
"Idiot.", the Batgirl declared. One assassin had levelled his rifle directly  
at her when she's standing in between him and his unarmed cohort. She can't  
take the chance that he might change his mind and not fire and she can no  
longer see what he's thinking. So she rushes. The first shot glances of her  
right arm. She'll take four more rounds and never reach him.  
  
*****  
  
And on it went. Every time a little more of the robe fell to Bart, a little  
more of her past was revealed from Cassandra. But he still cared. He still  
tasted her skin. To him, she was beautiful. His suckling from her was a   
joyous celebration. She could imagine nursing him. His enjoying her hard  
nipple didn't evoke the physical feeling she knew her training took from her.  
But the emotion that she could provide something...nourushing.   
  
Bart's actions made her her heart swell.   
  
At least Bart could still be made to feel good. "Want shirt off?", Cassandra  
asked.  
  
He looked up from her. "Okay." He couldn't figure out how she managed to pull  
his shirt off over his head and use the same motion to pull his lips exactly  
level with hers. Cassandra made his lips seal to hers and coaxed his tongue  
into her mouth. Her breasts were compressed by his chest baring down on her.  
Her hands pulled him to her until he unconciously thrust against her. She had  
been waiting for this.  
  
Cassandra breaks their kisses. "Heard something new on HBO. Will let you own  
me completely. Called 'fuck up ass'." Bart's eyes blew up. "Want try?"  
  
After a billion nanoseconds of incredulous speechlessness, Bart found his   
voice. "I don't want to hurt you.", was his first concern.  
  
"Won't hurt. Besides, didn't ask 'hurt'. Asked you want.", Cassandra gazed  
into his eyes hopefully. "Want you to have me. In way not David Cain, not the  
Batman, not the Lady Shiva Wusan have me. Just you. You alone. You I love."  
Bart communicated more with his eyes than his shuddering lip. "Please own   
me."  
  
The boy whispered. "okay." Cassandra kissed him again. "thanks?", he   
continued.  
  
Cassandra tugged at the waist band of his pants. Bart got the message and his  
pants materialized about seven feet up in the air after he threw them off in  
superspeed. "Said this make feel better.", she told him. The girl pulled a  
tube of something marketed as 'Superlube-not just for WonderWoman any more!'  
from one of her robe's pockets.  
  
She pressed it into Bart's somewhat shaking hand. Then, naked before her  
love, she turned over. "Like preparing before. Prepare now?" Cassandra   
swivelled her hips in front of him. "Is easy."  
  
Bart touched her back lightly with his free hand and nodded. From his hand,  
she could feel not only that he nodded but his love and his protectiveness  
and he hoped she'll like this as much as he know he will but she's more  
important. "Will like.", she told him. Then she leans down.  
  
*****  
  
"Okay.", Bart says. "Tell me what you want."  
  
Cassandra smiles. Then she smiles over her shoulder to him. "Put little on  
finger. Touch where going to go. There. Feel it. Feel inside."  
  
"Wow. You're openning up to me."  
  
"Have very good muscle skills. Chi starts there.  
  
"A-nee-way. Put finger in. Feel?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good. Push in little. Like in?"  
  
"yeah..."  
  
"Pretty big though. Add more...uh...gel(?), then use more finger. S.   
Fingers.  
  
"Do feel wet? Do feel soft?"  
  
"uh-huh"  
  
"Put gel on now. When covered, put tip to hole. Ready?"  
  
Bart is way more than ready. She never ceases to amaze him. She really wants  
him. She veiws being inside her this way as a favor. She loves him so much  
that having a part of him inside her is a gift. That this is so giving of  
herself is more than charity, more than loving...something that makes her-  
generous? passionate? devoted? secure?  
  
"Press."  
  
"ungh"  
  
"Good. Wow. Inside. Want more? Press."  
  
"ungh"  
  
"In. All way. Can touch me if like."  
  
And he roams over her. He cover her like ivy covers a hill. Being in her is  
more than he could say. He couldn't vocally respond if she asked him another  
question-he's too busy running his hands through her hair, over her other   
hair, inbetwen her muscles, under her breasts. His panting tongue is met by  
her soothing one.  
  
He's going to end quickly. She knows but that's what will be best for him. He  
will climax. And in doing so, be with her in ways no one else ever has been.  
Soon. She clenches around him. Soon.  
  
The video phone clicks on. "See, I told you redial would work.", Superboy  
says. The phone's gaze shows him the two on the floor.  
  
There is no description for Impulse' expression as he injects his love before  
an unexpected, unwelcome audience.  
  
"She has got to have a sister." 


	9. Decision

Bart stares at the screen. His horror knows no end. He's done this to her.  
He is seen to do to her. The people he stands by look at him while he is   
still doing this to her.  
  
WonderGirl's face squeezes onto the screen. "Are you sure you should be   
snooping around with a video-OH MY GOSH!", she blurts out. Two white gloved  
hands slap on top of oversized goggles instantly. Then one snakes over to  
cover Superboy's eyes as well while her other arm picks up the slack. "I'm  
so sorry. I'm so sorry.", she repeats as a little mantra to calm herself.  
Tactile telekenesis parts WonderGirl's fingers and allows an eye to peak out.  
  
Bart Allen's only motion is extracting himself. He does so slowly as if   
trying to hide the act. An audible *pop* destroys that delusion. As if he had  
never existed, Bart dissappears leaving only his clothes.  
  
Cassandra Cain realizes something. It's a really simple concept. With all her  
exposure to it, she should have realized it sooner. Murderous, killing rage  
is the stuff for amatuers.  
  
She has the real deal.  
  
While WonderGirl tries to blindly grope for her end's off switch with her  
elbow while holding her eyes, Cassandra delicately tosses one of Impulse'   
boots at her end. The shoe bounces off the power button on the video phone   
and the connection is cut. She doesn't throw it hard enough to break the   
device. After all, the Batman gave it to her and she would not disrespect the  
Batman.   
  
The girl in the cave calmly stands up and drapes her robe over her arm. She  
casually walks over to where the also naked Bart is folded over in a fetal  
position out of sight of the video phone's camera. Kneeling in front of him,  
she cradles his face.  
  
"I'm sorry I did that to you. I'm no hero. They see it now. I'm a villan.",  
Bart starts out.  
  
Cassandra silences him with a kiss. "Still hero. Want you to help like that."  
She kisses him again. "If ask you go to Man-ches-ter and stay, will know   
still love?" Bart doesn't reply. She kisses him again. "Will know?"  
  
"Yes." the boy answers. She smiles.  
  
"Please go. Don't leave until know.", Cassandra asks her lover.  
  
"When will I know?", he counters.  
  
Cassandra gives him the smile the Lady Shiva gave him. "Will know."  
  
*****  
  
"You've never been interested in your utility belt before.", the Oracle says  
from her wheel chair. "Usually you just wear it and don't use anything until  
I tell you to." The Oracle can see the wheels turning in the Batgirl's head.  
  
"When in fight, good to know ev-ree-thing.", the girl offered. She holds out  
the belt and all the satchels that hang from it. "What in here?"  
  
The Oracle shrugs. Spoiler walks in. "Okay.", the woman says. "You train with  
Steph and I'll lay everything out so we can go over it."  
  
The Batgirl walks over to Spoiler and grabs her by the arm. The blonde's mask  
helps to hide the confusion on her face. Just as the Oracle is getting   
started, she hears what sounds like an auditorium of applause from the room  
the girls use. A few seconds later, a very visibly dazed Spoiler stumbles   
out.  
  
The Batgirl side steps her and walks up to the table. "Done training.", the  
shadow tells her watcher. "What in belt?"  
  
*****  
  
Robin sits securely in the shadow of a gargoyle. The Fenucci family just   
moved into Gotham, and he's been ordered to get a scoop on them. Right now,  
he's just counting heads and taking digital pictures of who comes and goes  
from the high rise apartment.   
  
"How like Young Justice?", the Batgirl asks him.  
  
"Yeee-aggh!", Robin jumps, startled. He hits his head on a wing of the statue  
he's under. Rubbing the crown of his head the Boy Wonder asks, "What are you  
doing here?"  
  
"Just curious. Impulse on Young Justice. Like him lot. You on Young Justice.  
Can tol-er-eight you. Just wonder what like.", she tells him.  
  
Robin's brow arches under his mask. "Oh. Okaaaay...", he begins. "Well, it's  
mostly all the adult superheroes' sidekicks. I'm on it from our group. You  
know Impulse is from the Flashes. Wonder Girl hangs out with Wonder Woman.  
Secret and Arrowette are on their own though. Secret's/"  
  
"No one from Soo-per-man?", she interrupts.   
  
Robin shakes his head. "No. Superboy comes from Metropolis. He has this   
tactile telekenesis that mostly makes him talk about having tactile tele-  
kenesis a lot."  
  
"No powers? Thought super."  
  
"Oh he's 'super' all right.", Robin explains. "He can move just about  
anything touching him. It first off allows him to fly, be pretty invulnerable  
and mimic super strength. On top of that, it works like he has other powers  
too. He can blow up stuff by touching it and concentrating and he's as fast  
as he thinks he is. The way he tells it, he can fly faster than the Flash but  
never accepts the offer to race from Impulse. Impulse told me that Superboy  
being 'super fast' is like saying Arrowette's skirt is 'super short'."  
  
Robin catches himself. "Not that he thinks about Arrowette's skirt a lot." He  
sees that the satchels attached to the Batgirl's belt seem a bit more stuffed  
than they usually are. "Aren't those kind of full?"  
  
The Batgirl smiles proudly. Then she steps off the roof. Robin is about to  
look after her, only the first gun shot from the Fenucci apartment room stops  
him. The boy rolls his eyes, then shoots a line to swing into action.  
  
*****  
  
"Sure, I've met Superman.", Nightwing says into his cowl's radio transciever.  
"At first he looks human, but then...It's just something about him. More than  
being the big symbol. It's like you're standing in the presence of God."  
  
Nightwing's expression changes to shock. "Uh...maybe. My opinion is that the  
big bad Batman could take anyone and anything, all at once or one at a time.  
But the way I hear it, he's never had to beat up Superman. He just glares at  
him over their conference table and Superman gets the message."  
  
"That's all you wanted to know, Cass?", he asks. "Well, okay then. Catch you  
later, li'l sis. Say hi to Babs for me."  
  
*****  
  
The Batgirl peers into the depths of the cave from its center. Sure, the   
Batman gave her her own, beautiful cave. But his is like the Holy Land. She's  
eternally grateful for giving her a little piece of it-her meditation   
platform she usually gets debriefed on. But with the Batman gone, she can   
find a place to hide in. If she suprises him, he will be pleased with her   
progress and that will help her. Just as she think she's figuired out a way,   
the Batman touches her on the shoulder.  
  
Then the Batman catches the fist that automatically tried to break his face.  
"Sorry.", she apologizes. This isn't going well.   
  
"Don't be.", He tells her.  
  
"Have re-pote for you.", she says. The Batman snaps his fingers to cut her   
off and points at her meditation platform. She sits on it and assumes the  
lotus position. He holds out his hand before she can even reach for the   
papers she has for him.  
  
He takes the ragged notebook sheets to His throne in front of the interface  
to the Crays. Carefully, he studies each sheet. The first one is ripped where  
she cut it with the tip of a ball point pen. The actual writing is done in  
red crayon. It gives it a red jagged blur across white background effect.  
  
'Want beat up {S} Boy' 'Very bad. Make good pepil hurt and cry.' 'Him no hero  
just bullee' and on and on it went. The Batman knows how hard it is for her  
to try to read and write and but the message is clear. The subcouncious hand  
writing clues, the words she uses, the anger this paper has seen...it is  
typical woman scorned.  
  
"No.", he says while rising. Cassandra implores Him with the most earnest  
face He has seen on her.   
  
"But/"  
  
"Are you questioning me?", the Batman asks her.  
  
"No, sir.", Cassandra answers. She tries to hide that she's on the verge of  
tears. She wanted, no-desired, no-lusted, no-thirsted after beating up that  
punk. And the Batman knows it. It's his worst fear for this girl come to   
life. On the other hand, the Lady Shiva Wusan would be proud. And what will  
Impulse think when she tells him that she can't do what her love moves her to  
do for him because the Batman won't let her protect him.  
  
"Here's tonight's hastily prepared meal, Master Bruce.", Alfred calls out  
while walking down the steps to the cave.  
  
"I didn't call for any food.", He wonders.   
  
"And if I waited for you to ask for food you would have already starved to  
death.", the Butler retorts. The Batman rolls his eyes, shakes his head then  
relcutantly sits down.   
  
He looks at the veal parmesean laid out before him. "I thought you said that  
this was hastily prepared.", the Batman asks.  
  
"It is.", the Alfred replies. "That's why it's not accompanied by a white   
wine sauce."  
  
"You always amaze me, Alfred."  
  
"Why thank you, sir."  
  
The Batgirl watches all this play out in front of her. The Batman respected  
the Alfred enough to let himself be countermanded. Then the lightbulb went   
off. If the Alfred said it was okay to beat up Superboy, then the Batman   
would approve. It would not be a sin anymore.  
  
Just then a light glares up on the map of Gotham on the computer. "Sorry,  
Alfred.", the Batman tells his butler. "Looks like the Second National Bank  
is under attack. I'm going to have to miss out on your fine cooking." And   
with that, the Batman swoops off to his chariot. The car's engine roars and  
the Batmobile rips off into the night.  
  
The Alfred considers the girl staring at him. "Perhaps you would appreciate  
a home cooked meal, Miss Cain." The girl frowns. "Of course, I apologize-Miss  
Cassandra." The girl smiles and nods with vigour. "Come along then. And   
perhaps I can accomodate you with something proper for the manor?"  
  
*****  
  
Cassandra Cain is still surprised that the Batman is also this rich debutante  
...what was his name...Bruce Something? She is seated at a table longer than  
ones for surgery. She figured out how to wear the dress (gown?) Alfred laid  
out for her, and she wish Impulse could see. And the dinner before her...  
  
The girl takes a sip of her water. The Butler immediately freshens it back to  
its full depth. Before she can reach for the linen napkin, the Alfred has  
already unfolded it and draped it across her lap. She regards him, standing  
with the pitcher at attention.  
  
"Not ness-ess-air-ee.", Cassandra sputters out.  
  
"Nonsence, Miss Cassandra.", the Alfred replies. "With the amount of effort  
you have put into the master's mission, you deserve some respite. This is not  
unlike the treatment former charges of Master Bruce have been accomodated   
with." Just a hint of the English accent remained.  
  
The girl shrugs her shoulders and tears into her plate. Food dissappears. The  
bread basket empties in a blink. "I will aquire desert, madame."  
  
Cassandra spins in the antique oak chair. "Have question." The Alfred turns  
slightly with a raised eye brow. "If one man hurt man of couple, is okay for  
girl to beat up?"  
  
The Alfred seems to assume an even more upright stance. "The master's mission  
is one of protection, not vengance. I believe that this girl should take the  
time to think about whether she is acting out of anger or because Impulse   
needs her protection."  
  
"I hope you like strawberry short cake."  
  
Cassandra contemplates his words. Yes, she is angry...furious...more! But it  
isn't anger at Superboy for her. It's anger because he has hurt Impulse. Like  
he's intentionally trying to harm members of Young Justice. Her Impulse does  
need her help. She is doing this for protection and that makes it okay. And  
with the Butler's protection, the Batman will not be mad at her.  
  
She appraises the cake that has somehow sneaked before her. "What is it short  
about?", she asks, taking in the monster slice. 


	10. intermission for announcement

In the next few days comes most likely the last fan fiction I do.  
  
All the building blocks are in place. All the characters are motivated for it. The ultimate challenge, the incredible  
destruction, the questions of love's bliss and love's torture all to be answered...and soon.  
  
Batgirl vs. Superboy. 


	11. Brewing Hatred

The funny thing with world wide crisis is that ever super villain in the world says to themselves not "This is bad, let me   
not make it worse" but "Mu-hu-ha-ha! Now's my chance!". Less than a half an hour ago, the media declared to the world what  
happenned on the steps of the White House:all the superheroes of the world have changed ages. The JLA, JSA, the Titans...all  
of those who rise above are anywhere from pre-teens to toddlers. And just like every other city, Gotham's supervillains felt  
it was time to make their moves.  
  
But the ignorance that the Batman has fostered about himself may be able to keep the city together. No one exactly knew that  
there was a Spoiler and the Batgirl who remained unaffected. No one could guess that they were guided by the unblemished  
light of the Oracle. No one could have concieved.  
  
But they should have known better.  
  
*****  
  
Two teenage, costumed girls swing down to the street infront of one of Gotham's many museums.   
  
"How do you know this place needs our help?", the one in purple asks.   
  
Just then, one of the police cars surrounding the building is tossed into the air by giant tentacle of vegetation. "I don't  
think I'd come in here if I were you boys...", the amplified intelligent yet sultry voice of Poison Ivy booms from the  
museum.  
  
"Had a hunch.", the girl in black replies.  
  
"Do you have a plan, miss-all-of-a-sudden-I'm-mad-at-the-world?", Spoiler asks.  
  
"Yes, beat criminals uncouncious.", the Batgirl replies. She backs up her words by running straight at the building. The   
tentacle turns its attention to its new opponent. The Batgirl doesn't appear to pay attention to the giant monster ripping  
the concrete apart behind her. It looms behind her, poises to strike. Then the batarang that was thrown so long ago cuts  
through the plant-beast. One threat crashes to the museum steps. The other follows her fist through the plexiglass door.  
  
"I should go back her up.", Spoiler says.  
  
"She'll be alright.", the Oracle replies over the girl's cowl radio.  
  
"Yeah, what could possibly happen to a teenage Asian girl wearing a tight black superhero costume in a room full of tentacles  
controlled by the personfication of mother nature gone insane?", Spoiler asks.  
  
"Don't be sassy.", is her reply.  
  
*****  
  
The Batgirl only knows this can't go on long. There are too many psychos trying to harm her city tonight. On top of that, her  
...er, the Batman has been turned into a boy younger than her and he and Robin are trying to save the world not just one   
city. It's more than just up to her. It's up to her to wrap up Poison Ivy's scam now.  
  
She doesn't slow down from tossing herself through the doors to the museum. There's no attention given to anything not   
directly productive. Form gets no consideration. Ivy's words go unheard. The police' warnings are irrelevant. Two things are  
not-the threat is blatantly superpowered and the Batgirl needs to put it down.  
  
Another of the plant-snakes dives at her. The Batgirl runs up it like a video game character that can't help but stick to  
his tight rope because the computer won't allow any other alternative. Effortlessly, perfectly, blindingly she skips off  
and over the next tentacle. Hurling herself forward produces a rolling, flipping motion that carries her under, between, and  
around all the rest of the tentacles.   
  
Ivy is standing next to her prize, a large emerald. But even she recognizes what the Batgirl can do. The supervillainess  
tries to dump injections from the crossbow she wears at her wrist into the young heroine. A rope weighted by a batarang  
seems to materialize in the Batgirl's hands and swings in a protective shild around her. When Poison Ivy's dart supply is  
exhausted she can see each dart piercing the rope itself, not being allowed to inject either the Batgirl or escape to   
empower one of the tentacle monsters. Ivy decides to throw a punch at the Batgirl.   
  
She never gets to. Before the criminal can move she's already lost 10 permanent I.Q. points and 3 months of varied memories.  
That's what having a marble pedestal broken over your head can do to you.   
  
The remaining tentacle beasts instantly grow calm. The Batgirl swivels her head in all directions at once. Seeing no one   
else, she rushes out of the building. A swarm of cops falling on unnatural vegetation doesn't slow her in keeping her next...  
appointment.  
  
*****  
  
"I'm not paying you twice as much to be twice as incompetent!", Two Face yells at his his henchmen. "It's not even the Bat.  
I expect you to actually be worth something!"  
  
The small figure draped only in shadow and skill continues to dance between the hulking brutes. At least his compunction  
didn't prevent him from hiring more than two goons. It may give him the time to escape.  
  
Ironic how he only makes it two steps before the black gloved hand grabbed one of his pants pockets. As Two Face is forcibly  
spun on his heels, he made out the collapsed bodies of his entire gang. That is all he is able to percieve before a nerve  
cluster in his jaw was introduced to the Batgirl's hardened elbow.  
  
*****  
  
"Ooooh, pretty lady.", Zsasz taunts. "Maybe I'll reward you with two scars in my skin instead of just one. You may be   
worth it." Then he lashed out his killing shank at the shadow he thought was the Batgirl.  
  
The Batgirl is rewarded with two scars. One on his forehead from kicking Zsasz off the roof they were on and into the one  
across the alley. One on the back of his head from bouncing off and taking a fire escape on the way down with him.  
  
*****  
  
Killer Croc didn't manage to say anything before his simple jewelry store robbery is stopped in the act.  
  
*****  
  
The Penguin's office door blew open from the Batgirl's kick. Before his thugs could react he is already calling them off. She  
rushes into his office, grabs him by the knot of his tie and lifts him off his feet with one hand.   
  
"I respect you and your time of need. I'm simply running my club in case anyone needs their spirits lifted in this trying  
time.", Mr. Cobblepot states nonchalantly.   
  
The Batgirl pauses. Then she nods her head and sets him down. On her way out the door, she decides one of the thugs looks  
suspicious. The skull shaped chunk of doorway on the office floor shows how she expressed it.  
  
*****  
  
She understands how the hate has made her powerful. She still realizes the need to confront the one that has harmed her  
Impulse. It festers in her, irritating a like bone in the throat or a scratch that cannot be reached. She promises herself,  
as soon as the Batman works his magic and organizes the JLA into restoring the world's superheroes to their proper ages...  
  
Superboy and his reign of crime are over. 


End file.
